JADE 2/2

"Well, well, well. Look who has decided to grace us with his
magnificent presence?"

"All right, Daniel. Your sarcasm is not called for."

"Forgive me, my prince, but I do not know how else to react
when your father harps on me every day, asking where his son is!"

Alexei softened his tone. "I am sorry, Daniel. I just wanted to
insure that Fox was settling comfortably into our home."

"Your home. We must discuss that, Alexei."

"What do you wish to discuss about it?"

"Do you really think you should have gone and taken such a huge
leap with him before you spoke to your father? And let me stress
again how much you need to do that..."

"I *know*, Daniel. And what is it with you? Are you not smitten
with Fox's lovely friend?"

"Yes, but I have not conjured up a house for us to live in
together. I have not given her any false impressions."

"Are you saying that I've lied to Fox?"

"By omission, yes. He has no idea who you are, really. Why,
Alexei? Why have you not told him?"

"Because," Alexei began to pace, "it was so much to comprehend.
I did not want to overwhelm him..."

"Seems to me that he took the news of your true nature very
well. I do not think it would have been too much for his
delicate senses to hear that you are crown prince of the djinn."

Alexei continued to pace.

"Alexei..."

The other stopped and whirled to face his friend. "I was afraid
that he would not take me seriously, Daniel."

"He believes that you are a genie, but you felt he would not
believe that you are our ruler?"

"I am not your ruler. My father is. And no, it is not that I
think he would not believe me about that but rather I feared he
would think that I was merely toying with him. I wanted him to
be sure of my love before I told him."

"And so now you are prepared to do that?"

"Yes. But first, I will tell my father about him."

"Well, unless you want to go chasing halfway around the world,
it will have to wait. Malik is not here. He told me, that if I
saw you, to tell you that he would return in a couple of days."
Daniel raised one red eyebrow. "So you still have time to decide
exactly how you want to tell him."

"*How* I want to tell him..."

"Yes, Alexei. You cannot just blurt it out. He must be
adequately prepared, though I do not know that any amount of
preparation is going to soften the blow."

"For the love of Allah, Daniel, you speak as though it is some
great tragedy."

"Not in my mind, Alexei, and certainly not in yours, but for
your father? Knowing how he feels about humans? I shiver to
think about how he is going to react to your news."

"Well, however he reacts, he will have to just learn to deal
with it. I love Fox and nothing will change that. Malik must
accept that."

"He is our king, Alexei; he does not have to do anything he
does not want to do."

"No, you are right. But if he wants me to assume the throne, he
will have to accept Fox as my mate."

"Alexei, do you respond well to ultimatums?"

The other man's eyebrows took on a sarcastic arch.

"Exactly. And neither does your father. But I do not have to
tell you any of this. You *know* it."

Alexei ignored his friend's last statement and strolled over to
his favorite stream. He skimmed his hand across the water and
smiled down at the image of Fox speaking with his class. "I do
not wish to shun my responsibilities, Daniel, but this man is my
every breath. He is first in my heart, and if I must give up my
crown for him, I will."

"And what makes you think that he will allow you to do that? He
does not strike me as the selfish kind."

"And that is why I will not tell him until I speak to Malik. If
he forces me to choose, I will choose Fox, and there will be no
need for him to ever know what I did." Alexei turned his
attention back to the stream, and a look of anger flash across
his face. "I will hang that little weasel by his own entrails..."

"What? Who?"

Alexei sprang to his feet, hands clenched at his sides.
"*Jeffrey*. The eldest of Fox's pupils. He has been threatening
Fox for some time now, and he just tossed a fit and threw a book
at him. I must go."

"What are you going to do?"

"Master Jeffrey has used up his last chance. I will see you
soon."

And with that, Alexei was gone, leaving his friend in mid-
conversation. Now used to his friend's sudden departures, Daniel
merely walked away, muttering to no one. "Very well then.
Perhaps you and Fox and Dana and I might get together soon. Oh,
yes, Daniel. What a splendid idea. Well, enjoy your day..."

********************

Fox stood in the doorway of the bed chamber, watching Alexei's
eyes open. The other man stretched in a purely feline fashion
and smiled up at his lover.

"Good afternoon, my love. How was your day?"

"Interesting." Fox sauntered across the room and sat on the
bed, sliding to lean back against the pillows.

"Oh?"

"Yes. I had another unpleasant encounter with Jeffrey this
morning."

Alexei looked up at him, doing his level best to look innocent.
"Did you?"

"Yes. Directly afterward, he went out for his afternoon riding
lesson, and what do you suppose happened?"

Alexei arched his eyebrows and shrugged.

"He lost control of his horse. It took off at a full gallop,
with Jeffrey screaming all the way."

"*No*."

Fox nodded. "Yes. When the stableman finally caught up to them,
they were almost a mile from home. He found Jeffrey in a heap on
the ground and the horse nearby."

"Goodness, how awful."

"He's got two broken legs."

"Did they have to shoot him?"

Fox narrowed his gaze on his lover. "Not the horse, *Jeffrey*."

Alexei averted his eyes and toyed with one earring, giving no
response.

"And you know what's very odd about it?"

"No. What?"

"The stableman swears he saw a small black animal darting
between the horse's legs just before it bolted. But when he
looked around for it, it was gone.

Alexei knitted his brows. "Yes, that *is* odd."

Fox folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head.
"Alexei..."

"Yes, love?"

"What did you do?"

"Do?"

"*Why* did you frighten Jeffrey's horse? He could have been
killed."

The pretense melted away. "I take it as a personal failure that
he was not."

Fox's eyes grew wide with shock.

"I will not sit idly by while young master Jeffrey assaults you."

"I can handle him."

"I know you can, but he needs more than *handling*. He needs a
good lesson."

"What do you really think he's going to learn from that?"

Alexei heaved a hard sigh, then looked up at Fox, pouting. "All
right, so it was nothing more than retribution. But it was not
uncalled for. He had it coming."

"That isn't the point. He's a human being."

"If you insist..."

Fox covered his face with one hand. "Alexei...please...don't do
anything else to him. Just let him be."

"Make no mistake, Fox. If he sees his opportunity, he will take
it. And I will *never* allow that."

Fox bowed his head, at a loss as to how it was that he was
going to make the other man understand. "I appreciate your
concern, Alexei, but you *must* not harm him again."

"Even if he is preparing to kill you?"

"You're impossible!" Fox leaned his head back and closed his
eyes in frustration. The gentle depression of the mattress a few
minutes later drew his attention. He opened his eyes to find
Alexei crawling toward him. The other man crept slowly between
his legs and brushed his head against his chest.

"Are you angry with me?"

Fox looked down at the emerald eyes partially hidden by
downswept lashes and glanced quickly away. Alexei nuzzled his
chest again, demanding his attention.

"You are angry. Perhaps..." he fell silent, doing a fine job of
trying to look repentant.

"Perhaps, what?"

Oceans of green sparkled up at him through a thick curtain of
lashes. "Perhaps I should be punished."

Fox fought to keep the smile from his lips. "Yes...perhaps you
should." He pushed Alexei away and rose from the bed. Alexei's
voice, tinged with curiosity, reached him as he moved to the
door.

"Where are you going?"

"Thought I'd take a walk before dinner."

"But...aren't you going to punish me?"

"Yes," Fox gave him an evil grin. "I am."

Dismayed, Alexei watched as his lover glided out of the room,
leaving him alone. He waited a few seconds, sure that Fox would
come back, but he remained alone. "Fox?" he called softly. Only
silence greeted his ears. A tiny, incredulous smiled curled his
mouth. "It would seem," he told himself, "that my sweet Fox has
a bit of a sadistic streak in him. "Oh my love," he groaned, "I
adore you more every day."

********************

Dinner began quietly.

Fox joined Alexei a short time after he'd entered the great
room. The other man waited for him to speak, but he merely
seated himself and began to pick at his dinner. Drumming his
fingers softly, Alexei watched and waited.

Nothing.

Finally, he sidled over to Fox and plucked a morsel from his
plate. Tentatively, he held his fingers to his lover's mouth,
chewing on the corner of his mouth as he waited.

Fox raised his eyes to Alexei's as he considered the offering.
Finally, he opened his mouth and allowed the other man to feed
him. When his entire dinner was eaten that way, he sat back
against a mass of pillows, staring sedately at his lover.

Alexei shifted his body and lay before Fox. He wrapped his arms
around his lover's legs and resting his head on his knees,
looked up at him. "Is my lord still angry with me?"

"No, I'm not angry."

"Am I still being punished?"

Fox considered his question, then nodded. "Yes, you are."

Alexei gave him a beautiful pout. "Then...you will allow me to
give you no pleasure tonight?"

"I haven't decided."

Alexei moved upward, burying his face in Fox's chest. "Please,
lord. A night without your love would be a torturous thing."

Fox petted the sable head for a moment, then closed his fingers
around the satiny strands, lifting Alexei's head until their
eyes met. "Even I do allow you to pleasure me, there will be
none for you."

Green eyes stared up at him, pleading. "You...you would torture
me this way?"

"It's not torture," Fox corrected him gently. "It's punishment.
A punishment you asked for."

"I would rather be whipped by my lord's own hand than endure
this type of punishment. I beg you to reconsider."

The corner of Fox's mouth twitched. "I suppose it's possible
that you could somehow convince me."

Alexei stared up at him for a moment, then rose to his feet and
slowly began to remove his clothing. When the last bit of
material slipped from his body, he lowered himself to the floor,
kneeling beside Fox's outstretched legs. He bent at the waist,
laying his torso and arms out in front of him.

From the comfort of his pillows, Fox cocked his head, admiring
the body stretched out before him. His eyes followed the strong,
clean lines of the muscles, imagining feeling them tighten and
relax under his touch. He mentally caressed the smooth, tanned
skin and heard the faint sigh that drifted up from the floor.
Realizing that Alexei must have been tuned in to his thoughts,
he attempted to shut them off and leaned forward, placing his
hand on the other's back, stroking up and down its length.
Enjoying the twitch of muscle beneath his fingers, Fox continued
for a bit longer, then slid his hand down under Alexei's jaw and
lifted, coaxing the other man upright.

Alexei remained on his knees, staring into Fox's eyes as his
lover caressed his jaw. As the hand drifted closer to his mouth,
he gently grasped Fox's wrist and placed a soft kiss in his
palm. His tongue followed, slithering up toward Fox's fingers
where he then drew one into his mouth, delicately sucking at the
tip.

Mesmerized, Fox pushed his finger forward, watching as it
disappeared into Alexei's mouth, then pulled it out, adding a
second finger. Alexei accepted the addition, licking and sucking
with increased enthusiasm. He moaned in protest when the fingers
were suddenly removed, and Fox sat back, staring quietly at him,
waiting.

Alexei pitched forward, supporting the weight of his upper body
on his hands, and crawled torward Fox. When he was almost
parallel to Fox's chest, he reached out and parted his lover's
robes, baring his chest. Gentle fingers danced across the warm
skin before Alexei leaned in and began scattering soft kisses
over the same area. When Fox's head fell back and his eyes
closed, Alexei's tongue inched out to take his pleasure a step
higher.

A servant came in to clear the remains of dinner and gasped
softly at the sight of her prince, naked and sprawled over the
master, thoroughly bathing his upper body with his tongue.

Not entirely oblivious to the girl, Alexei continued his task,
lingering over one puckered nipple, drawing breathy moans from
the man beneath him.

Completely oblivious, Fox lay amongst the pillows, accepting
the intense pleasure of his lover's caress. The warmth moved
lower, flowing over his taut belly, teasing and tickling every
inch of skin. He removed Fox's pants, and finally, what seemed
like ages later, his mouth gently brushed the glistening head of
his rigid erection.

Sounding a tiny, shocked yelp, the girl gathered up the last of
the dinnerware and vacated the room, leaving Alexei smiling as
he lapped at the pearl of bitter fluid at the tip of his lover's
swollen shaft.

Fox twitched and released a small grunt at the most intimate
touch. He breathed deeply, willing himself to relax and enjoy
every caress, but when he found himself engulfed in wet heat,
all good intentions evaporated like so many drops of rain on the
desert floor. His hips bucked as he sought to push himself
deeper into that wonderful heat.

Alexei relaxed his throat muscles and took all that Fox had to
give him. His tongue fluttered over the long shaft each time it
slid into his mouth, and his deep groans of pleasure vibrated
along the thrusting muscle. As Fox's movements became more
erratic, Alexei regained control, grasping his hips to hold him
still, and slowly began to back off.

Fox issued a sharp hiss as Alexei pulled away, but the protest
died a quick death as his lover's tongue moved to the fragile
skin of the sac that hung heavily between his legs. He squirmed
within Alexei's firm grip, his soft whimpers conveying his need.

Gently rolling the sac on his tongue, Alexei slipped a hand
underneath his lover, his fingers burrowing between the rounded
muscle, and then ever so gently, first one then two digits
teased their way into the tight opening. Fox cried out and began
to rock his hips, but Alexei's free hand once again steadied
him. Knowing that Fox was now teetering very close to the edge,
he licked his way back up the length of his erection. Once at
the tip, he teased the tiny slit for a brief moment, then
abruptly swallowed his lover to the root.

Fox's mouth fell open, and a tormented sob tumbled out.
Somewhere between heaven and madness he floated, aware of
nothing more than the exquisite torture that his lover was
inflicting on him and the desperate need to bring it to a
shattering end. His fingers clenched in the pillows around him
as Alexei increased the pressure, and each labored breath left
his lips in a loud hiss. The fingers sliding in and out of him
slipped deeper, stimulating a spot that made his back arch high
off the floor and a long, broken cry rip from his throat.

Alexei's head rose and fell faster as he felt Fox's body hit
its peak. In an instant, the man beneath him began to lurch and
scream incoherently as hot fluid hit the back of his throat. A
thin line ran down one corner of his mouth as he swallowed his
lover's seed. When Fox collapsed in utter exhaustion, Alexei
lifted his head. Slitted hazel eyes watched as he lifted his
hand to his mouth, wiping the moisture away, then licked it from
his fingers. That done, he again lowered his head and began to
gently clean his lover's spent organ. Golden-brown eyelashes
swept down, and the other man sighed softly.

When he'd completed his task, Alexei rested his head low on
Fox's belly and one hand on his hip, drawing lazy circles on the
skin there, with his thumb. His eyes drifted shut, but he did
not sleep, could not until the screaming of his own body was
silenced.

Fox opened his eyes long minutes later and looked down at the
top of the sable head resting on him. He raised a weakened hand
and combed his fingers through Alexei's hair. The other man
lifted his head and looked up at him expectantly. A weary smile
trembled at his lips, and he tugged at the hair beneath his
fingers, prompting Alexei to slide up until they were face to
face. He pulled the other man down for a soft, lazy kiss then
murmured against them, "Let's go to bed."

Alexei gazed down at him, a soft smile playing at his lips. "As
you wish, my lord." He rose to his feet, helping Fox up, and the
two walked together to their bed chamber.

Fox dropped to the mattress first, then Alexei, right along
beside him. He reached over and lovingly caressed the other's
cheek, provoking the gentle nuzzling of his palm. His eyes
sparkled as he attracted and held his lover's gaze.

"Goodnight, love."

Alexei's mouth fell open as he watched Fox settle onto his back
and close his eyes.

//No. He....he *would* not...he...//

Fox heard what sounded like a soft gasp and opened his eyes
halfway. "Did you say something?"

"N-no, but..."

"But, what?"

"You truly mean to sleep?"

"Yes..."

Alexei shook his head slowly. "You could be so cruel?"

"My love...I would never be cruel to you. But if you recall, I
told you from the beginning..."

"But you said I could convince you. Did I not please my lord?"

"Of course you did. Very much. But I believe my exact words
were it was *possible* that you could convince me." Fox brushed
his fingertips across the other man's lips. "You have not. Your
punishment will continue." He moved his hand from Alexei's mouth
to his own, kissing his fingers, then bringing them back to
press against his lover's. "Now go to sleep. We will re-evaluate
the situation in the morning."

Alexei watched, disbelieving, as Fox removed his hand, draping
it across his chest and closed his eyes. For over an hour he
watched in silence, waiting for Fox to open his eyes and tell
him that he was only joking, throw him onto his back and make
passionate love to him.

Nothing.

Coming up on an hour and a half, he gave up and curled up on
his side, facing away from Fox. His body begged for relief, but
he denied it, refusing to interfere with his lord's punishment.
Despondently, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Just as he
had begun to finally drift off, he felt a hard warmth press up
against the length of his body. He shook off the darkness that
was just about to claim him and came to full consciousness. He
shuddered uncontrollably as a soft mouth kissed the back of his
neck. The warmth ebbed, and Fox turned him onto his back. The
other man smiled down at him in the near-darkness of the room.

"Did you really think I would sleep tonight without hearing you
scream my name?"

Alexei shuddered at the soft words. "I...not at first, but..."
He fell silent and turned his best wounded look on Fox.

"Ohhh," Fox cooed, petting Alexei's hair, "is my love suffering?"

Alexei looked away and nodded.

"Well. Let's see what we can do to remedy that, shall we?"

Dark eyes rose warily. "You are not going to tease me then tell
me to go to sleep, are you?"

Fox lowered his head, brushing his lips against Alexei's. "No."

Alexei wound an arm around his lover's neck and writhed against
him. "My love...my body aches for you. Please..."

Before he could utter another word, Fox's mouth came down on
his, muffling his pleas. His lover's weight settled over him,
pressing him deeper into the mattress and pulling a strained
whimper from his constricted chest. Fox slithered against him,
feeling the full extent of his arousal and leaving no doubts in
Alexei's mind about his own renewed passion.

"My beautiful Jade," Fox murmured against the other's mouth,
"you must know that I would never let you suffer the entire
night..." He slipped a hand between them, stroking the column of
velvet-sheathed stone. "So hard," he moaned, lightly fingering
the shaft.

Alexei stared up at him through glazed eyes. "For you, my lord."

Fox squeezed him gently. "It is a lovely gift. Might I ask for
another?"

"Your slightest wish is my command."

The words brought a smile to Fox's lips. "Open yourself to me."

Without question, Alexei spread his legs and wrapped them high
around his lover's waist. He waited, trembling as Fox positioned
himself at his entrance, then stopped. He turned pleading eyes
up to Fox's face but remained silent.

Fox looked down into his lover's eyes, glowing with love...and
deep, uninhibited lust, and he could hold off no longer.

Alexei's head pressed back into the pillows, and a loud,
sobbing wail escaped past his lips as Fox drove into him.

Every bit as overcome, Fox shuddered, gritting his teeth in a
valiant effort to stave off the violent rush of sensation that
rumbled through his body. He froze, struggling for composure,
but Alexei would not be quieted. The other man bucked
impatiently beneath him, sobbing his name, and he lost the
struggle. Taking his lover's stony erection in one hand and
anchoring the other in his hair, Fox pulled out almost to the
tip, then surged forward again.

Alexei's fingers dug into the muscled padding of Fox's
shoulders as his lover remained deeply embedded inside him and
rocked forward then released the pressure, allowing his body to
lurch back to where it had been. He repeated the process several
times, never leaving the heat that surrounded him, and each
thrust brushed over that magical, mysterious spot, leaving
Alexei quivering beneath him, delirious with pleasure.

"Fox..." Alexei panted, "...my....my love...please...I..." He
stiffened, groaning through clenched teeth as Fox increased the
tempo of his thrusts and matched it with the movement of his
hand.

"Are you..." Fox swallowed hard, trying to hold on for just a
second more, "...are you ready, love?"

Alexei whimpered and nodded as he clung desperately to his lover.

"Then show me," Fox hissed as he began to slam into the other
man. "Let me feel it...let me...hear..."

And at that moment, the damn burst, the flood of sensation
carrying both men screaming over the edge.

Fox's name rang in his own ears, cried out again and again by
the man who shuddered and thrashed endlessly beneath him, and he
was never more sure of Alexei's love than at that precise
moment. When the storm had finally passed and Fox's weakened
arms could hold him up no longer, he lowered his trembling body
to rest on top of the one he loved so dearly and wrapped Alexei
in his arms.

********************

The shrieks and wails coming from their masters' bedroom died
down and brought knowing smiles to some of the servants and
looks of profound embarrassment to others, but all went about
their duties quickly and professionally and never spoke a word
of it to each other...while working. In the privacy of their
quarters, they often discussed their prince and his chosen
mate...the one he referred to in their presence as the master.
Privately, they'd heard him call the other 'Fox' and assumed
that this was his name. In some of the more intimate moments
that they often bore witness to, he was heard to call Fox 'my
lord', and they thought that even if this man was indeed a
nobleman, he was still human, and therefore not anyone that
their esteemed prince would or should bow to. Still, in light of
all they did and did not know, one thing was crystal clear.
Prince Alexei loved this man with his whole heart and soul, and
the feeling was more than mutual. That knowledge brought
happiness to the attendants, and they vowed to serve both men
well and maintain the blissful atmosphere that reigned on their
home.

********************

The two men lay clinging to each other, Fox's head nestled
against Alexei's shoulder, and all was quiet except for the soft
purr that rumbled in his ear. He smiled wearily and lifted his
head to gaze down upon his beloved. Luminescent green eyes
stared back and perfect lips attempted to form a word. Unable to
resist temptation, Fox moved in for a long, tender kiss. When
he'd drunk his fill of his lover's sweetness, he slid down a bit
and laid his head on Alexei's chest. The other man raised a hand
to his head and lazily stroked the damp, golden-brown silk.
After a long silence, Fox's voice drifted up to the other's
ears, soft and weary.

"Jade?"

"Yes?"

"Do you feel better?"

"So much better. I cannot believe my astounding luck to have
the world's greatest lover fall in love with me..."

Fox shook with silent laughter. "There's sarcasm in there
somewhere, I think."

"Oh no, lord. I say this to you in all sincerity."

Fox laughed again, this time audibly. "That isn't what I meant,
anyway."

"No?"

"No. I'm actually referring to last night."

"Oh. Truly, Fox, I do not know what happened to me, but I feel
fine now."

"No more anxiety? No unexplainable fears?"

"None."

"You aren't just saying that so I won't worry?"

"No, I promise you, everything is fine. Now it is time that you
slept or you will be falling over your desk tomorrow." Alexei
wrapped his arms around Fox and dropped a number of soft kisses
in his hair. "Goodnight, my treasure."

Fox mumbled a sleepy goodnight and in no time was soundly
asleep. Alexei stayed awake a bit longer, enjoying the peaceful
sounds of his love's slumber and the comforting warmth of his
naked body resting on his own.

//The world will never know a more perfect love.//

He fell asleep finally, smiling at the thought.

********************

The next morning, Alexei sent Fox off to class with a lingering
kiss and a promise to behave himself, then drew a deep breath
and went to see if his father had returned.

Indeed he had and was anxious for his son's visit.

Alexei entered the grand salon, followed by Daniel, and found
the elder reading.

"Father."

"Well," Malik closed his book and smiled on his eldest son. "I
was beginning to think you had run away from home."

The young man strolled past his father, stopping at the edge of
the doorway that led out to the balcony. "I realize that I have
been spending quite a lot of time away."

"Yes, you have. I have given you your privacy, my son. I have
not questioned you or Daniel, but now I must ask. What is it
that keeps you away for such long periods of time?"

Alexei inhaled deeply, then released the breath slowly. "You
remember you told me that if I had found myself a companion, you
hoped that I would bring said companion before you?"

"Yes, son. I remember well. I am an old man but still perfectly
capable of recalling something that I said only a matter of
weeks ago."

Alexei gave him a brief smile. "Well...it is time I did that."

Malik broke into a wide grin. "Wonderful! Bring her to me this
evening. We shall dine together..."

"Father."

"Yes?"

Alexei shook his head. "There are two things you must know."

The smile faded from Malik's face. "Your solemn expression
tells me I may not be pleased with whatever these things are you
must tell me." He sat down and looked up at his son. "Say what
you must say."

Alexei nodded. "You said 'she', Father. My companion is not
female."

"Oh?" Malik paused thoughtfully, then spoke again. "Oh. Well,
my son, you know that from birth we are taught that in matters
of love, gender is not an issue. Your grandmothers were very
happy together all their lives and raised me in love. Now, I
admit that I am a bit surprised, considering all the females I
have seen you with in the past, but if this man means enough to
you that you would have him stand before me, then I accept your
choice."

Alexei executed a shallow bow. "Thank you, Father."

Malik nodded to his son. "You said there were two things."

"Yes."

Daniel tucked himself into the nearest corner and watched warily.

"Father, I know your feelings regarding humans, but..."

The older man stopped him cold. "*Humans*?"

"Yes..."

"Alexei," Malik's voice took on a warning tone. "Surely you are
not going to tell me that this companion of yours is a..." His
hand tightened on the book he still held. "...*human*."

Daniel watched his friend's chin take on a defiant tilt and the
green of his eyes all but disappear, and he wished he could do
the same, but he had given his word that when Alexei told Malik
his news, he would be there for moral support.

//Were you *insane*?//

"Yes, Father. He is."

Malik closed his eyes, and the room began to quake. Or maybe it
was just Daniel. At this point, he really couldn't be sure.

"Why," the older man asked softly, "do you insist on defying me
at every turn? *Why* do you find my rules so difficult to
follow? No one else seems to have a problem with them."

"Everyone *else* fears you and the punishment you will bring
down upon them if they do not adhere to your stupid rules."

"And you do not."

"Father, I cannot obey a law that is so blatantly unreasonable.
Contrary to what you may believe, I do not do this to spite you."

"No? Then tell me why!"

"I love him, Father. Deeply and completely."

Malik's eyes widened and turned blacker than coal. His response
came out in a barely audible hiss. "Nooo."

"Yes, father."

"Alexei...son...*please*...tell me that you are not mated to
this...this...*human*."

"I will thank you not to refer to him as though he were some
contemptible monster. His name is Fox, and yes, we are lovers."

There was a loud crack as a large vase behind Malik cracked and
exploded into hundreds of pieces. Daniel trembled in his corner,
too afraid to move or speak, but Alexei stood unblinking before
his father, completely unwilling to back down.

"Did grandmother not give you that vase as a wedding gift?"
Alexei scolded softly. "She would *not* be pleased."

"Your impudence is *not* helping your situation, boy," Malik
warned. "Now you listen to me. You are not to see your human pet
again, is that clear? If you walk away now and make absolutely
no contact with him again, I will forget this whole sordid
incident."

Alexei shook his head. "I will do no such thing. My place is
with Fox. And if you cannot accept that, Father I am sorry, but
I will not give him up."

"That was not a request, Alexei."

"No, of course it was not. All you know how to do is issue
commands and proclamations. You are not listening to me, Father.
I *love* Fox. Does my happiness mean nothing to you?"

"*Yes*! Which is why I insist that you put an immediate stop to
this!"

Alexei's voice raised to match the volume of his father's,
shaking the entire house. "What is it about humans that makes
you so unreasonable?"

"I do not need to explain myself to you, Alexei. I say that you
will not see him again, and you *will* *not*."

"I *will*." Alexei raised a hand to his head, then lowered his
tone. "Father...this is getting us nowhere. Please. For me...let
me show him to you. Watch him for a bit. Listen to him..."

Malik closed his eyes and turned away.

"He is a teacher, you know. A very intelligent man. He is
handsome and he is kind...he makes me so very happy, father.
Please just see him."

Malik's failure to answer was interpreted as consent, and
Alexei moved to the large mirror in the far corner of the room
and waved his hand across it. An image of Fox appeared, and an
immediate smile came to Alexei's lips. He watched quietly as Fox
taught his class, moving slowly, up and down the aisles between
the desks. He turned to Malik and called softly.

"Father, please. Come and see the man I adore, and you will
understand."

Slowly, Malik moved before the mirror and raised his eyes to
the image. Daniel unfolded himself from the corner, now standing
to stare, amazed at what his friend was able to accomplish.
Malik watched in silence, then turned to see the look of pure
devotion in his son's eyes. Daniel's tentative smile vanished as
he saw Malik's face harden and twist into a mask of frightening
emotion.

"Fine. I have seen him. Now get rid of this image and erase him
from your mind, or so help me, Alexei, you will never assume the
throne. I will strip you of your birthright and pass the crown
on to your brother Amed."

Alexei stood his ground. "You are forcing me to choose."

"Yes."

"Then there is only one choice I can make..."

Malik nodded, finally happy that he had gotten through to his
wayward son.

"I choose Fox."

A look of sheer fury washed over the king's features, and
objects all over the room began to shudder and break. "Very
well, Alexei. I give you a new choice." He waved his hand at the
mirror, and Alexei watched in horror as Fox suddenly fell to the
floor, hands clenched in his hair, writhing in agony.

"Father! What are you doing? *Stop*!"

"I will stop," Malik hissed. "But you must agree never to see
him again."

"*No*!"

"Then you choose for him to die."

Alexei flattened his hands on the mirror, watching helplessly
as his Fox screamed out in pain. "*No*," he sobbed, knowing that
there was no way for him to undo what his father had done.
"Father, *please*! *Stop*!"

"Do you agree?"

Tears sprung to Alexei's eyes, and he shook violently. "You are
killing me as well!"

"You will get over it, Alexei. Now, what is your decision?" He
raised a hand. "Do I finish him?"

"*NO*!"

"Then you agree?"

"*Yes*," he dropped to his knees, leaning against the mirror.
"*Yes*, I will stay away from him. Please...do not hurt him
anymore..."

The tears steamed down Alexei's face as he watched Fox stop
writhing and lie panting on the floor while the children
surrounded him. Seconds later, Dana raced in, followed by the
youngest of the boys. She hovered over Fox for moment, then
helped him to his feet. They spoke a few words, then she helped
Fox from the room.

"Say goodbye, Alexei."

Alexei gripped the mirror and pressed his face to it. "How can
you be so cruel? You are not my father. You could not be."

Malik spoke softly to his son. "You hate me at this moment. But
soon you will come to realize that it is best."

More tears rolled down Alexei's face. "Never," he said in a
choked whisper. "You have taken my only love. I will never
forgive you."

Malik blinked and pressed his lips together in a grim line.
"You are my successor. The future king. You must learn to behave
as such."

Alexei turned red-rimmed eyes to the man standing over him. "I
do not want your crown." He shook with rage. "I do not want your
house or your lands. I do not want your subjects, and I do not
want your power. The only thing I ever wanted, you took from
me." He rose unsteadily to his feet, and Daniel came to his
side. "From this day on, you have one less son."

"Do not say things you do not mean."

Alexei took one shaky step forward, his eyes blazing with
hatred. "I mean it," he whispered through gritted teeth. "You
have seen me for the last time."

Without another word, Alexei disappeared, leaving a stunned
Daniel alone with Malik. The old man looked up at the other man,
reading a look of profound sadness in his eyes. He drew himself
up straight and tall and gave the younger man a hard stare. "I
will be watching him every minute. You would do well to tell him
that."

Daniel merely lowered his eyes.

"He *will* get over this."

"No, sire." Daniel hesitated a second, then doing something
he'd never done, looked up and gazed steadily into the king's
eyes. "He will not." And he was gone as well.

Malik paced the room, shattered bits of glass and china
crunching beneath his feet. "I am right," he told himself, "I
*will* do what is best for him whether he likes it or not..."

Having again worked himself into a high state of self-
righteousness, Malik whirled around and was gone.

********************

A group of servants watched as Alexei stumbled blindly past
them on his way to his bedroom. One began to follow to ask if
there was anything he required, but a voice from behind stopped
her.

"Leave him."

The girl turned to face Daniel. "But, sir...he does not look at
all well!"

"I know. But there is nothing at all that any of you can do for
him."

"The master then? Can he help?"

Daniel looked from the girl to the direction in which Alexei
had gone. "Would that he could," he whispered softly.

********************

Alexei entered the room, closing the door softly behind him. He
wandered the room slowly, his shaky legs doing a less than
adequate job of holding him up. Pain seared his chest as he
looked around.

Such joy in this room. Such love.

He moved to the bed and sank down amongst the pillows, burying
his face in them. He inhaled deeply, taking in Fox's lingering
scent...memorizing it so that when it faded from the material,
it would still be vivid in his mind.

He turned over, clutching a pillow to his chest and stared up
at the ceiling. Tears again welled up in his eyes and spilled
over as he recalled helplessly watching his beloved suffer the
agony inflicted on him by Malik. He was sure that Dana was
caring for him sufficiently, but that was *his* place. Fox
should be here. Home. In bed resting while Alexei attended to
him...held him and kissed him and promised that no harm would
ever come to him again...

He sat up suddenly, trembling as his name sounded in his head.
A number of seconds passed, and he heard it again.

Fox was calling to him. Wanting to come home.

Violent shudders coursed through him as for the third time the
voice sounded, this time laced with a tinge of anxiety. His
fingers clenched in his hair, and he rocked back and forth. Tiny
whimpers began to push their way past his compressed lips, and
the fourth and last time that Fox called to him, the fear in his
voice coming through loud and clear, it finished him.

Daniel and the small group of servants looked up, more than a
bit startled as the floor beneath them shook with Alexei's roars
of anguish. Daniel instructed the servants to keep their
distance, and he rushed to his friend's room, throwing the door
open to find Alexei lying across his bed, heaving great sobs. He
approached cautiously and seated himself at the edge of the bed.

"Alexei," he called softly. "I...I am so sorry. So very, very
sorry. I wish with all my heart that this had not happened.."

Although his loud wails had begun to abate, Alexei issued no
response. He lay face down in the pillows, intermittent tremors
wracking his body.

"I must tell you..." Daniel lay a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"...in case you are entertaining any notions of trying to
contact...him. Malik is watching and will be every minute. To
insure Fox's safety, you must not have any contact with
him...none."

Still, nothing.

Daniel squeezed his friend's shoulder. "I can only imagine the
pain you have to be suffering, Alexei. I feared something bad
would come of this, but I never imagined...I never dreamed..."
He took a deep breath and went on. "If there was something I
could do to ease the pain of this, I would. Please know that."

Alexei remained still and relatively quiet, giving no
indication that he'd even heard Daniel's words. The other man
rose and drifted silently from the room, leaving his friend
alone with his grief.

********************

"Fox, are you sure that you are not in any more pain?"

"Yes."

Dana sat quietly for a moment, stroking his brow with the cold
cloth. Then, "He's probably just someplace where he can't hear
you."

"He can hear me anywhere. He said that to me once."

Dana shook her head, starting to speak half a dozen times, then
rethinking her words. "I don't...I don't know what to tell you.
He's all right, I'm sure he is. If something was wrong, you
would have heard from Daniel."

Fox nodded.

Dana patted his hand reassuringly. "You'll be home soon. And
you'll see that there's a reasonable explanation for this."

No answer.

"Now tell me again what happened."

"How many times must you hear it?"

"Until I can make some sense of it."

"How can you if *I* can't?" Seeing Dana's insistent expression,
he sighed and went through it again. "All right. I was in class.
Everything was as normal as usual...except that Jeffrey was not
there disrupting the lessons. I *felt* fine. Then all of a
sudden this pain came out of nowhere. It was so bad that it
knocked me to the floor. I'd never felt anything like it. I
could barely see, and I couldn't hear at all, and then it got
worse. Excruciating doesn't even begin to describe it. I thought
I was dying. And then it stopped. As quickly as it began, it
just...stopped. You came in a while after, how long I have no
idea. I was very disoriented, and it took a while for my vision
to clear and my hearing to return, but now, aside from complete
exhaustion, I'm perfectly fine. Now what do you get out of that?"

Dana shook her head. "Nothing."

"Right. Now why don't you go on? You've been here for hours."

"I'd really rather not. Not until you're back with Alexei and
*he* can look after you."

Fox lowered his eyes at the mention of his lover. "But we
don't....we don't know when that will be," he said barely above
a whisper. "Please, Dana. Go. I'll be fine. I really think I'd
like to be alone anyway."

"To do what? Brood?"

"No..."

Dana rose and leaned over him, hands gripping his shoulders. "I
don't know what's going on in that mind of yours, but I do know
that it isn't good. Fox, you will be home before the night is
out, and tomorrow you'll tell me how foolish you were for
worrying."

Fox released a stuttering breath and nodded. "You're right.
Now, go. I'll see you tomorrow."

Reluctantly, Dana walked to the door, looking back once more to
see Fox give her an unconvincing smile and a wave. Once she was
gone, he rose from the bed and sat in his favorite chair. Taking
a few calming breaths, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Alexei...Jade. Can you hear me?" He waited for long moments
but received no response. His heart began to thud painfully in
his chest, and he blinked back the tears he felt stinging his
eyes. "I don't...I don't understand. Why won't you bring me
home? What...have I done something...something to upset you?"

Still no answer.

The tears won the battle and began their lazy trek down his
face. "Please," he issued a broken whisper. "I'm so tired. I
want...want to come home..."

More silence greeted him.

He bowed his head and wept softly.

********************

"What is this place?"

Daniel spun away from the window he'd been staring blindly out
of and took a step back. "S-sire..."

"I followed you," Malik answered the startled man's unspoken
question. "But where is here? And where is Alexei?"

Daniel clasped his hands behind his back and remained silent.

"Like my son, you are developing quite a stubborn streak,"
Malik observed. "There is only one difference. "*You* are not my
son."

The implied threat visibly shook Daniel, but he stood his ground.

Malik ran a hand through his silver hair and sighed deeply.
"Your loyalty to your prince is commendable. Foolhardy, but
commendable. I give you fair warning, Daniel. If he is with that
human..."

"He is not, sire. He will do as you command. Not out of fear or
loyalty or sense of duty, but out of deepest love for the one
you have forbidden him to see."

Malik stared at the young man for long seconds, then, "You have
not answered either of my questions. What is this place?"

"Alexei created it. For his love. It is...was...their home..."

"Their *home*," Malik spat the word from his lips. He has but
one home."

Daniel lowered his head. It was quite obvious that Malik could
not and would not be reasoned with. Still, for the sake of his
friend, he had to try. The old man's venomous tone snapped him
out of his thoughts.

"Where is he?"

Daniel straightened up and again risked looking his king in the
eye. "You wish to see him, sire? Follow me."

Malik walked with Daniel through the grand house and stopped at
a room at the far end.

Daniel placed his hand on the doorknob and spoke. "He has been
in here since he left the palace." He opened the door and
stepped aside, allowing Malik to enter.

The older man took two steps in and stopped. At the other end
of the room on the oversized bed, lay the crumpled form of his
son. He studied the motionless heap for a time, then stepped
closer, calling Alexei's name. When he received no response, he
moved in a few more steps.

"Alexei. Get up and stop behaving like a child. I am not asking
you, I am ordering you."

Still, the figure did not move.

"Sire," Daniel called softly. "You can order him all you like.
It will do no good. He has stopped speaking. I have tried three
times since we have been here. He will not even so much as look
at me. He just lies there."

"Well, I will not put up with this. He will come home with me
now."

Daniel shook his head. "He will not, sire."

"He will when this place is in ruins..." Daniel's shocked voice
cut him off.

"His heart is shattered. He is completely and utterly
destroyed." The fear of what Malik would do to him had somehow
become less important than what he had done to his own son, and
Daniel continued to speak his mind. "You have seen to it that
this is all he has left. How much more would you hurt your own
son?"

Malik stared at the other man, amazed at his bravery. Giving no
immediate response, he looked once more to the tormented shell
that was his son. His jaw clenched and unclenched, and he turned
toward the door. "Inform me when he tires of this little drama."

Once Malik was gone, Daniel nearly sank to the floor with
relief. He moved to the bed on wobbly legs, and sat at the edge.
"Alexei," he called softly to his silent friend. "Congratulate
me, friend. I have won a reprieve. For how long I do not know,
but for now at least, I have prevented him from laying waste to
this house."

Alexei lay motionless, eyes closed, his face pressed to the
pillow he hugged to his chest. It almost looked as though he
might be asleep, but Daniel knew better. He was awake, and he
had heard all that had gone on. He was merely refusing to
respond.

Daniel sighed softly and stroked the side of Alexei's head. "I
will be here in the house if you should need me." He rose and
vacated the room quietly, leaving Alexei to the deafening
silence that surrounded him.

********************

"Fox! My God, you're here!" Dana squatted in front of the man
slumped in his chair. "And from the looks of you, you haven't
*left* here. What happened?"

Fox's head remained at downward tilt, and his voice was barely
audible, but Dana strained to hear his words.

"Did you think he loved me, Dana? I know...you haven't
kn...known him for more than a few days, but...would you have
thought him capable of doing this?"

"*What*, Fox? What do you think he's done?"

"Do you think he loved me? I thought he loved me..."

"Oh, my God." Dana gently rubbed the spot on his leg just above
his knee. "Yes, Fox. I only knew him for a very short time, but
I was positive that he loved you."

"You haven't seen Daniel either, have you?"

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Fox. I liked him. I thought that *maybe* we could
have a nice relationship, but I wasn't in love with him. I'm not
hurt, I'm angry. *You*, on the other hand..."

"He was just...just toying with me...is that possible? Could
the things he did and the things he said to make me fall so
deeply in love with him be nothing more to him than careless
lies? Could this all have been just an elaborate plan to get
what he wanted from me, and when he tired of the game, he
just..." Fox leaned forward, pressing his face into his hands.
"No...noooo. Dana..." he raised his head and tangled his fingers
in the folds of her dress. "...please...wake me up. This is a
dream. I'm dreaming and I can't wake up. Please..."

Dana gathered her friend into her arms and hugged him tightly.
"I wish that were true. I would give anything in the world to
fix this for you. Or at least to explain it. I can do neither.
I'm sorry, Fox. I am *so* deeply sorry..."

Fox released her and nodded. "I'll be all right." He gave her a
tremulous smile. "Good lesson, yes? Don't believe a handsome
stranger when he swears undying love and devotion. And whatever
you do, don't let yourself fall in love with him."

"Fox..."

"You're going to be late for class, Dana."

"I can't leave you this way."

Fox rose from the chair and took a few shaky steps over to a
window. "I'm fine. Go to class."

Dana cursed softly under her breath, wishing that there was
some way to cancel class, but the master would not be at all
pleased. "I'll...see you later, all right?"

"I'll be here," he said softly, making her heart ache.

The click of the door signaled Dana's departure and set off a
series of violent tremors in Fox. He took several large gulps of
air and fought to steady himself. When the shaking diminished,
he turned toward the bedroom and lowered himself to the
mattress. He pulled his knees up to his chest and, hugging a
pillow to himself, lay staring at the wall.

********************

Morning light filtered into the room, casting its cheerful glow
on the one who lay oblivious to its presence.

Slumped in a large chair beside the bed, Daniel blinked and
stretched. His eyes fell on Alexei, who lay on his side, hugging
a pillow to his chest. He got up and moved cautiously to the
bed, peering over the lump of green satin, surprised to find
matching eyes open and staring.

"Alexei? How long have you been awake?"

The other man continued to stare down at a spot low on the wall
and said nothing.

"Alexei? Please...you are frightening me now. *Stop* this. I
know how much you love Fox. I *know* it hurts, but what are you
going to do? Lie here and let yourself wither away?"

No answer. Not even a blink.

"Fox would not want you to be doing this..."

The soft croak startled him into the silence.

"What must he be thinking?"

Daniel took a seat at the edge of the bed. "I do not know."

"He must be so confused...so hurt. He....called to me
yesterday..as he did everyday when it was time for him
to....come...home. I could hear the fear in his voice." A single
tear rolled from the inside corner of his eye, tracking a lazy
path to his nose. It disappeared over the bridge and dropped off
onto the pillow. "And there was nothing I could do.....how will
he ever understand? How can he ever know that I deserted him
because I love him?"

"Do not torment yourself this way, Alexei," Daniel pleaded.
"Undoubtedly, Fox is suffering just as you are. But in time, the
pain will fade, and he will pick up and go on. Just as *you*
*must*."

"*Why* must I? What reason do I have?"

"You have an entire kingdom at your feet."

"No."

"*Yes*. Assume the throne when it is time, Alexei. Change the
laws that you detest so much. See to it that this never happens
to anyone else."

Alexei shook his head and closed his eyes. "Amed will make a
fine king."

"He will be adequate, yes. But you, my friend, would be a great
king. Amed is a fine man. Earnest, intelligent...but you have so
many qualities that he sorely lacks. For one thing, I do not
think he knows the meaning of the words fun or humor. Remember
that story that I told you once about the three Bedouins and the
camel? Remember how we laughed until we cried? And Amed just
stood there looking at us like we each had two heads? And what
of the time when we were young boys...we ignored your father's
curfew and did not come in until almost dawn? Malik never would
have known if not for your brother. I never knew a boy who
followed every rule down to the last letter..."

Alexei lay quietly unresponsive.

"My point is," Daniel rambled on, "he is much too straight an
arrow. He does not know *how* to bend. He would more than likely
adhere to every law Malik ever laid down and never deviate from
them an inch! And you, my friend, are living proof that this
would be a very, very bad thing."

The other man tightened his arms around the pillow he held and
said nothing in reply.

Daniel ran a hand over his face. "All right. I know it is much
too soon to be discussing such things. You need time. It will
get better, Alexei." He touched his friend's shoulder. "I know
that seems impossible right now, but it *will*
happen.....Alexei?"

Alexei did not hear Daniel's last words. He had again retreated
into himself, and no amount of coaxing would draw him back out.
As was quickly becoming habit, Daniel quietly slipped out of the
room, leaving him alone with his misery.

********************

Fox sat in the gathering darkness, staring out at nothing in
particular. The day came and went without much notice, and when
Dana appeared after class, he barely spoke to her. Almost three
hours passed before she finally gave up and went home, leaving
him sitting in the same chair she'd found him in.

He sat mentally torturing himself, reviewing every word, every
look...analyzing every minute of the time he and Alexei had
spent together, trying to pinpoint a time when he should have
realized that it had all been a ruse. He could recall not a
second when he might have detected a shred of insincerity. But
then, was there not a saying pertaining to one being blinded to
the truth by love?

"No," he whined softly, hands clenching painfully in his hair.
"I was so sure you loved me, Alexei..." He rose from the chair
and moved to a window, staring out into the burgundy sky.

"My..." He tried to swallow past the burning lump in his
throat. "...my beautiful Jade. Did you never feel even the
slightest bit of something for me?"

The thought of Alexei laughing at his stupidity brought a rush
of tears to his eyes.

"No...you wouldn't. I can't believe....we made love...so many
times. I saw your face. I heard your words. How could they be
false?" The tears flowed freely now. "How could I have been so
foolish?" He closed his eyes and bit his lower lip, fighting the
sudden urge that had bubbled up inside him, but he was
overwhelmed by it, and he had to. He could not stop himself from
opening his mouth and calling out once more.

********************

Alexei sat bolt upright, startling the man in the chair by the
bed. Even in the dark, Daniel could see that he was shaking.

"Fox..."

Daniel moved quickly over to the bed, and touched Alexei's arm.
"You were dreaming."

The other man shook his head and spoke, his voice quivering
with restrained anguish. "He called to me."

"Alexei. You were asleep. It was just a dream."

"*No*. He called me." He buried his face in his hands. "I feel
him." He began to rock back and forth. "So much pain."

"That is your own pain that you feel, Alexei."

"*And* his." Alexei wrapped his arms around his middle,
squeezing as tightly as he could. "It is unbearable......my
love," he whispered to his absent mate, "my precious Fox...I am
so sorry. I promised you nothing but happiness, and look at the
misery you are now suffering. If I could take it away...if I had
the power to erase the past weeks from your memory, I would do
it and suffer this eternal misery alone..."

********************

Dana stood at the head of the classroom as the boys filed in.
When all were seated, she smiled and spoke to them.

"Good morning, boys. How is everyone today?"

The boys looked at one another in confusion. Amir popped up
from his seat, questioning her in typical vociferous fashion.
"Where is Mr. Fox? This is *his* class."

"Yes, Amir, I know. But Mr. Fox is not feeling well. I will..."

"Thank you, Dana, but I'm all right."

All eyes turned to the door.

"Fox," Dana went to him, speaking confidentially. "You look
terrible. You shouldn't be here. I can handle your class for a
day or two. Go home and get some rest."

Fox shook his head and brushed past her. "Can't." He placed his
books down on the desk and turned to the class, trying to give
them a smile. "Good morning, gentlemen."

"You look sick," Amir pointed out, accusation in his tone.

"I have not been well, it's true. But I will feel better if I'm
here with you boys." He looked around. "How is Jeffrey?"

"Miserable!" Amir piped up. "He is driving everyone mad with
his whining and complaining."

Fox nodded. "Sounds like Jeffrey." He glanced over to Dana,
standing in the doorway, staring at him and shaking her head in
disbelief. He gave her a smile that did not reach his tired eyes
and turned back to the business of teaching his class.

That night in his little house, Dana tried to get him to eat,
but her success was extremely limited. Trying to get him to talk
was an even more challenging mission. "I'm all right," was all
he would say when she attempted to confront him.

For many days he went on that way. Little food, less sleep, and
there was nothing Dana could do or say to change it. The mention
of Alexei's name never failed to bring a stone wall down between
them, and she quickly learned to avoid the subject.

At night he lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling or out at
the window, wrapping himself in the memories of soft whispers
and loving touches and the mesmerizing passion he found in the
green depths of the eyes that burned into his soul. And then the
pain. The consuming, agonizing pain that left him exhausted and
more withdrawn with each passing day.

Even his students had begun to worry that their normally good-
natured, exuberant teacher was no longer himself. One day,
almost three weeks later, Amir tried to draw him out as class
was ending.

"Mr. Fox?" The young boy approached warily.

Tired amber eyes rose to meet wide brown. "Yes?"

"We wondered...my brothers and me..."

"I."

"I...could you bring Jade to visit us one day soon? With
Jeffrey not here, there would be no trouble..."

Fox stared, frozen in place.

The boy went on, a little less hopeful than before. "Please? We
miss seeing him." He pulled a small object wrapped in a bit of
white silk out from between his books. "I have a present for
him."

Fox looked down at the small bundle in the boy's outstretched
hand. Slowly, he reached out and took the offering. He pulled
the edges of the cloth back, and an immediate lump formed in his
throat.

"I noticed that he does not have a collar, so I thought I would
make him one. Do you think he will like it?"

Gingerly, Fox picked up the string of green glass beads and
draped it over his fingers. He stared at the collar until hot
tears blurred his vision, and powerful tremors shook his body.
Unable to speak, he curled his hand into a fist and rose from
his chair, practically toppling it in his haste to leave the
room. Blindly, he made his way to his house and throwing the
door open, staggered inside. Stopping in the middle of the room,
he stood looking dazedly at his surroundings, then back down at
the object still clenched in his hand. He choked back the
beginnings of a sob and sank to the floor, leaning back against
the chair behind him. Another strangled sound pushed past his
lips, and another, and then he couldn't hold it in any longer.
Loud, sorrowful sobs echoed in the silence of the room as the
emotions he'd tried so hard to hold in check exploded to the
surface. He wept uncontrollably for long minutes, and when the
sounds slowly faded into soft, shuddering gasps, he turned
sideways, laying his head upon the cushion of the chair, and
placed the beaded collar down in front of his eyes.

A simple gift.

The innocent, thoughtful gesture of a small child.

How could the boy know the unbearable ache it would cause in
his heart?

********************

"Miss Dana!"

Dana turned around just in time to catch the boy as he ran at
her, just barely avoiding a collision.

"Amir! What's wrong?"

"I meant no wrong!" The child sobbed. "I only wanted to make
him smile. I wanted to see him happy again..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Mr. Fox." Tears welled up in the big brown eyes. "He has been
so sad. I only wished to make him feel better."

"Of course you did." Dana hugged the boy to her. "What do you
think you did wrong?"

"I gave him a gift. Well, it was not for him, exactly. It was
for Jade."

Dana groaned softly. "Jade?"

"Yes. I made a collar for him out of green beads. I thought Mr.
Fox would like it, but I think I just made him more sad."

"Why, Amir? What happened?"

"He started to shake, and then his eyes filled with water, and
he left the classroom. I do not understand. I thought it would
make him happy!"

"Oh, sweetheart." Dana kissed the top of the boy's head. "How
could you know? Amir, Jade is no longer with Mr. Fox."

The boy blinked up at her. "He...is he dead?"

"No, no. He just...he left."

"You mean he ran away?"

"Yes. He ran away."

"No! He would not! Why would he run away from a place where he
was so well loved?"

"I...I don't know. Cats are odd creatures, Amir. They are not
always easy to understand."

The boy shook his head. "I do not believe it. Something must
have happened to him. He may have gotten accidentally locked up
somewhere. Or he got lost on his way home. We should look for
him..."

Dana stroked the boy's hair. "He didn't get lost. And he isn't
locked up anywhere. He's just...gone. We have to accept that.
And so does Mr. Fox."

"*No*. Jade loves Mr. Fox. He was always on his lap or sitting
on his shoulder...as soon as Mr. Fox spoke to him or touched
him, he would begin to make all those little cat noises. You can
tell me that he ran away from now until forever, and I will
never believe it."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know you liked Jade very much. So did
I..."

"He will come back," Amir insisted, unwilling to believe what
he was being told. "If it is possible for him to do so, he
*will* come back."

Rather than upset the boy further, Dana broke off the
discussion and changed the subject. "Why don't you come with me
back to the house? I'm sure your dinner is almost ready."

The boy went along with her, walking a few steps, then stopped.
"But...what about Mr. Fox?"

"I'll take you up to the house, and then I'll go and check on
him. All right?"

"All right. Please tell him how sorry I am."

Dana slipped her arm around the boy's shoulder and led him in
the direction of the house. "You had no idea, Amir. Mr. Fox
knows that your gift was from your heart."

As soon as she saw Amir enter the house, Dana went off to see
to Fox. She walked through the open door to find him on the
floor, head on the seat cushion, fingertips gently tracing the
circle of green beads.

"Fox."

No response.

She kneeled beside him and slipped a hand under his cheek.
"Fox, look at me."

Bloodshot eyes shifted and gazed up at her.

"I know what happened. Poor little Amir is so upset."

"He didn't know," Fox rasped, his voice hoarse from crying.

"I told him Jade ran away. He refuses to believe it. Maybe if
you told him."

Fox closed his eyes and turned his face back down to the chair.

Dana sighed and hooked a finger in the ring of beads.
"I'll...do something with this if you like...so you don't have
to look at it."

Before she could lift it away, Fox's hand came over hers,
stopping her. "I want to keep it," he whispered.

"Fox...you shouldn't. Look what it's done to you."

Fox pulled the collar from her grasp and closed his fingers
around it. "I want it."

She'd tried. For weeks now, she'd been patient and sympathetic
and understanding, and finally, Dana lost her temper. "*Why*?
Why do you want to torture yourself with a reminder of a man who
*used* you for his own selfish pleasure....who...who thought of
you as nothing more than temporary entertainment? You should be
angry, Fox! You should be furious! I know you loved him, and for
a long time I hoped and prayed that he'd come back and offer a
simple explanation for why he'd disappeared, but I've come to
the realization that it just is not going to happen! He
manipulated you, got what he wanted from you, and now he's gone.
Off probably doing the same thing to some other poor
unsuspecting soul..."

Dana rambled on, but those were the last words that stuck in
Fox's mind. 'Doing the same thing to someone else'...

In his mind he saw Alexei naked and drenched in perspiration.
Writhing in the bed they'd shared, with some faceless
man...doing the very same things that Alexei had done to him.
Crying out a name that was not his...

Fox's hoarse cry interrupted Dana's rant and startled her into
silence. He slid away from the chair and down to the floor,
curling into a ball of abject despair.

"Oh, God." Immediately regretting her tirade, Dana crawled
toward her shuddering companion. "Fox...please. I'm sorry, I
just...I've tried everything to help you. I don't know what else
to do." She lightly caressed his head. "It hurts so much to see
you suffering like this. I want to kill him for what he's done
to you, and I guess I just wanted to see a little of that anger
in you too. But it isn't fair to expect that. You loved him. I
can't know how deeply this has affected you. Please, Fox. Tell
me what to do. Tell me."

After a long silence, she strained to hear the two barely
audible words.

"Leave me."

She didn't want to. Her mind screamed at her to stay, but she'd
asked, and he'd told her.

Dana kissed the back of Fox's head and quietly left the house,
closing the door behind her.

********************

Daniel walked through the house, checking room after room. When
his search had not turned up his friend, he went to the kitchen
where the servants were preparing the evening meal. "Where is
Prince Alexei?" he asked when the two women and one man looked
up.

Concern creased all three brows, and Ali stepped forward. "You
have searched the whole house, sir?"

"Yes. I cannot find him anywhere."

"That is strange. He never leaves the house...only wanders from
room to room like a wraith."

Daniel raked a restless hand through his red hair. "I'm going
to check the grounds. If anyone sees him, call me immediately."

The young woman bowed as Daniel blew past, and went back to the
pointless task of preparing dinner.

********************

Alexei sat by the stream, hypnotized by the lazy push of the
water. He had not been here since he and Fox had been together,
and now, over a month later, he felt an inexplicable pull...an
urge to leave the shelter of his house and come here.

He stared into the sun-dappled water, hearing the sighs of his
beloved Fox carried within the tinkling rush of the current. His
eyes drifted closed, and he saw them together, the day's dying
light washing over their bodies as they moved together in such
perfect harmony.

His respiration quickened and his tongue flicked out to moisten
suddenly dry lips as he imagined the velvety slide of skin
against skin...the flow of golden-brown silk through his
fingers...the sweet shock of urgent possession...

"*Alexei*."

Glazed, nearly black eyes snapped open and stared dazedly up at
the man who loomed over him. Alexei struggled to control his
breathing and fought off the sensual lethargy that had turned
his bones to fluid.

Daniel sat beside the other man. "I am sorry, I hope I did not
startle you."

Giving no answer, Alexei looked back out over the water.

"This is the first time in many weeks that you have been out of
the house." He placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "This is
good. We are making progress."

Alexei's eyes searched the flowing water. "He liked it here by
the water," he whispered hoarsely. "We made love here...here is
where I asked him to share a home with me...and he said yes." He
closed his eyes and lowered his head to his bent knees. "We were
so happy..."

"Alexei..."

"He does not call to me anymore."

"...What?"

"He does not call me. The last time was one morning a little
over two weeks ago. I have not heard him since."

"He has come to accept what has happened, Alexei," Daniel
reasoned. "As you must."

As usual, Alexei was not listening to him. Moisture spiked his
lashes, and his lips trembled. "If he has accepted it and he is
no longer thinking about me, then I am glad for his sake. I do
not want him to suffer, but....I miss his voice..." His
shoulders slumped, and he began to cry.

Daniel sat trying to console his inconsolable friend while
something bubbled up inside him. The emotion could only be
described as anger, and the longer Alexei cried, the angrier he
got. When the other man's sobs finally faded, he coaxed him back
to the house, put him to bed and instructed the servants to
leave him undisturbed. Fury securely in place, he left the
house, spoiling for a fight he could not possibly win.

********************

"Sire."

Malik and his second eldest son Amed looked up from the table
at which they sat. Daniel strode purposefully into the room,
stopping when he stood directly in front of the old man.

"Daniel. To what do I owe this unexpected....unannounced visit?"

"I must speak with you."

"Speak."

Daniel looked over at Amed. "Privately, sire."

Malik studied the determined young man for a moment, then waved
his son away. "Now," he said softly, sitting back, folding his
hands in his lap, "What is so urgent? Has Alexei finally come to
his senses? If so, it is not a moment too soon. I was just
discussing Amed's training with him."

"I am here to discuss Alexei, yes, but not to tell you that he
has come around to your way of thinking, because he never will."

"Then we have nothing to discuss."

"Fine, sire. Then I will talk and you may listen." He took a
breath and plunged on. "Your son has become completely
unraveled, and it is your fault."

Malik's face reddened with quiet rage. "You are indeed a brave
man, Daniel."

"Do to me what you feel you must, sire, but I will remain
silent no longer. Is a grossly unreasonable rule and your pride
worth losing your son and heir over? Because that is exactly
what is happening. Every day he slips farther beyond reach. He
refuses food, he speaks only a handful of words to me if I am
lucky...if he is not sleeping, he is wandering aimlessly through
the house or sitting and staring at nothing. He was strong and
enthusiastic about life, once. His eyes held a mischievous
glimmer. Now they are dull and vacant, and only one thing can
make them shine again..."

"Do not say it."

"The return of his love."

"You said it."

"I had to say what I came to say, or my punishment would be
meaningless. Sire, please. I implore you. You can put an end to
this tragedy. Let me go and get Fox..."

"You will do no such thing!" The house shook so hard, Daniel
was nearly knocked off his feet. "*Why* can he not understand
that this is for his own good?"

"*How* is it for his own good, sire? It is killing him!"

Malik stormed the length of the room. "The little bit of pain
he is suffering now is *nothing* in comparison to the pain he
*will* feel!"

Daniel shook his head in utter confusion. "I do not understand.
*What* pain?"

Malik stopped pacing and sank heavily into a chair. "The pain I
must endure every day of my life."

"Sire, I must repeat. I do not understand."

"I have never told this story to anyone," Malik rasped. "But 
if my son is ever to understand, I suppose now, I must." He took
a great, heaving breath, and began. "I was in love once. With a
human..."

Daniel sat quietly, gaping at the man who now seemed so much
older than he ever had.

"She was exquisite. Long, dark hair and the deepest green
eyes..."

The younger man raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

"She had...an adventurous spirit and an infectious laugh, and I
adored her. I made her my queen, and we could not have been
happier. But after forty-one years together, her time on this
earth grew short. I watched her decline...grow old. She became
frail. Her hair grayed. Skin wrinkled." He smiled sadly. "But
her eyes never changed. They remained as green as ever.
She...slipped away from me one night, and as powerful as I was,
there was nothing I could do." He looked up at Daniel through
watery gray eyes. "You see, nothing can stop the progression of
time. And time is something humans have very little of in
comparison to us." He looked away and went on. "I loved my
Katarina with all of my heart and soul. Losing her was
devastating. It hurts as much today as it did those many, many
years ago. You see, Daniel? I am not the heartless, unreasonable
monster that you and my son think me to be. Alexei means the
world to me. I do not want him to suffer the heartache that I
did when I lost his mother..."

Daniel heard the words, knew they were coming, but still they
shocked him.

"No, Daniel," Malik answered the question he saw in the young
man's eyes. "Alexei does not know that he is half human. The
djinn blood runs strong, and he has inherited all my power, so I
supposed I thought there would never be any question." Another
sad smile curved his lips. "He looks like her. He is the only
one of his brothers and sisters who does. He has her eyes. Her
heart...her fire."

"The fire is fading, sire," Daniel said gently, then paused
before resuming. "Sire?"

"Yes?"

"A question if you please. Now knowing that you would most
certainly outlive Katarina for many, many years and knowing the
pain that you would have to endure when she was gone...would you
have preferred never to have loved her?"

The king drew himself out of the chair and whirled toward the
window. "*Never*!" He turned back to Daniel, eyes glittering.
"If I had only a year to spend with her, it would have been
worth every..." He stopped, locking eyes with Daniel for a
moment, then bowed his head. He stood quietly for a time, then
spoke in a weary voice. "He loves this Fox that much?"

"Yes, sire. As much as you loved his mother."

"You say you know where he is?"

Daniel's eyes lit up. "Yes, sire."

"Go get him. Take him to Alexei."

"Daniel emitted a gasp of relief. "Thank you sire."

Malik nodded. "I do not expect that he will ever forgive me for
what I have done."

Daniel rose from his seat. "I cannot speak to that. Only Alexei
knows what is in his heart."

"I understand that....you are a good friend to him, Daniel.
Thank you for standing by him."

"Thank *you*, sire, for not turning me into anything with six
legs."

The old man gave him a weary smile. "Go."

"*Yes*, sire." Daniel bowed deeply and was gone, leaving Malik
alone with his regrets.

********************

Fox had just shifted position for the fourteen time. It had
been over two hours since he'd come to bed, and he was no more
tired now than he was then. He flipped onto his back and folded
his arms across his chest, one hand absently playing the with
the string of beads he now wore around his wrist.

After his last breakdown, Dana had forced him to take a week
off to rest, and he did, but all that time off with nothing to
do but think only succeeded in making him crazier. He went back
to class this past week and at least had his mind occupied
during the day.

Nights were as bad as ever. He lay awake as he did tonight,
thinking about the beautiful, green-eyed man who had literally
blown into his life, turning it upside down, and blown back out
just as suddenly as he had come.

It made no sense to him. Yes, he was inexperienced, and yes, he
was naive, but how could he be so amazingly stupid? He was
completely taken in...so in love he couldn't see straight, and
it was all a lie. He had been in love with a lie. He knew it,
and yet he couldn't stop. The beads he wore around his wrist
attested to it. He loved Alexei still. Even knowing that he was
out there tonight, in someone else's arms, giving them all the
pleasure he thought was reserved only for him, he couldn't help
himself. And the pain of it was unimaginable.

He closed his eyes and again tried to sleep, but the sound of a
soft voice brought him into an immediate sitting position. Heart
pounding, he blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the darkness.

A figure stepped out into the band of pale light that fell
across the floor in front of the bed, and his heart leapt into
his throat.

"Daniel."

"Hello, Fox."

"What are you doing here?"

"I have come to talk to you."

"About what?"

"You...Alexei..."

A hard shudder ran through Fox, and he shook his head. "Go...go
away, Daniel. There is nothing for us to talk about."

The other man took a step forward. "But there is. There are
things I must explain..."

"No, there aren't. I understand perfectly. He used me." A
bright gleam coated Fox's eyes. "I was nothing more than a
plaything for him. And given enough time, Dana would have become
the same to you. Get out of my house."

"No, Fox, you do *not* understand. It is a long, complicated
story. Please allow me the time to tell it to you."

"What happened, Daniel? Was his latest toy smarter than I was?"
He fought to keep the tremor from his voice. "Did they figure it
out, and now he has no one to play with?"

"No. There is no one else. There never could be. There is no
one for Alexei but you."

Fox laughed bitterly as two tears dropped from his eyes.
"Really? Is that why he deserted me without a single word?"

"There is a very good reason for what he did. Fox, your life
depended on it."

"What? You expect me to believe that?"

"I wish you would. It is the truth. You see, for as long as we
can recall, Alexei's father was always dead set against any
relationships between our kind and yours. He laid down the law,
and everyone heeded it..."

"His...father?"

"Yes."

"He never talked about family."

"No. He did not. But he was going to."

"What stopped him?"

"He was not sure how you would take it. And then when he *was*,
he wanted to break the news of your relationship to his father
first..."

"Take *what*?"

Daniel bowed his head. "Wait. This is...let me say this to you
so that hopefully it makes sense..."

"What's wrong, Daniel?" Fox croaked, "The lie not going as
smoothly as you'd hoped?"

Daniel ran a hand through his hair and walked away. When he
came back, he sat on the edge of Fox's bed and looked the other
man directly in the eye.

"Listen to me. This is *no* lie. The last morning you were
together, you went off to class, and Alexei came to tell his
father about you. Malik was furious. He insisted that Alexei not
see you ever again or he would never assume the throne..."

Fox's eyes narrowed. "The what?"

Daniel closed his eyes. "The throne. Malik is our king. Alexei
is his first born son and crown prince."

Fox's head began to swim.

//You're not actually believing this, are you?//

"Alexei suspected that his father might make such a threat. He
did not care. He was ready to give up his birthright to be with
you, Fox, and he told that to Malik..."

//Don't listen to him. Don't *believe* it...//

"Malik did not expect that Alexei would be willing to renounce
his crown. Alexei tried to make him see reason, but he would not
be persuaded." Daniel paused, making sure that he had Fox's full
attention. "You collapsed in class that day. You were in
tremendous pain..."

Fox's lips parted, but he remained silent.

"Malik was livid. He caused your pain. Threatened to kill you
if Alexei did not give you up immediately."

Fox blinked in disbelief.

"Make no mistake, Fox. He would have done it, and there would
not be a thing that Alexei could have done about it. Remember
once I told you that Alexei is much more powerful than the rest
of us? But Malik's power is even greater. Once he does
something, there is no undoing it, however much Alexei might
wish to. Can you see what I am saying to you?"

Fox lowered his head and stared at the sheet pooled between his
legs, trying to process all that Daniel was telling him.

"You would have died on the floor of that classroom, Fox,
unless Alexei agreed to leave you and never have any kind of
contact with you whatsoever. He had no choice. As soon as he
agreed, Malik broke off the attack, and you were allowed to
recover. Alexei turned away from his father. He told Malik that
he was no longer his son and fled to the house you shared. He
has been there ever since, grieving for his lost love. He will
not eat, he barely speaks...and every day it gets worse. He is
dying a slow, painful death, and he will do nothing to stop it.
As far as he is concerned, living without you is pointless."

Fox felt the tears again begin to sting his eyes. "No...you're
lying..."

"I am *not*," Daniel whispered harshly.

"Then, what are you doing here? Isn't this considered contact?"

"Yes. But I have not finished my story. Today, I had had
enough. I could not go another day seeing the agony Alexei was
in. So I took my courage in hand, and I went to see Malik.
Truly, I never expected to walk out of our meeting in one piece,
but I guess I must have said the right things to him, because he
explained his very personal reasons for wanting to keep Alexei
from you, and somehow I made him see the harm he was causing. He
agreed to let me come here and take you to Alexei."

Fox's heart pounded frantically in his chest, and he felt the
room begin to spin.

"Fox? Did you hear me?"

Fox shook his head, and the tears began to flow freely.
"Don't....please don't do this to me..."

"I swear on all that is holy that I am telling you the absolute
truth. Alexei has never for a second stopped loving you, and he
never will. He will go to his grave loving only you. And the way
he is declining, Fox, that should be very soon."

Fox bit back a whimper and rocked himself back and forth.

"Fox, I am begging you to believe me. Come home. He saved your
life, and now you can save his....*please*."

Fox stared at the blurry figure before him. He clenched his
hands together in front of him and closed his eyes, releasing
the residual moisture that had pooled in the wells of his lids.
Afraid to trust his voice, he simply nodded.

********************

Alexei dozed fitfully, awakened every so often by the haunting
images of him and Fox in happier times. Laughing. Sharing a
meal. Kissing by the stream...

He moaned at the thought.

He'd kissed and been kissed by many, but no one did it the way
Fox had. Hungry...always as though it would the very last time,
yet tender. All his love...all his soul went into every kiss,
and Alexei could never seem to get enough.

He missed those kisses. And his touch. And that soft, low tone
in which he spoke when they were alone.

Alexei whimpered in the darkness, softly crying his name.

"I'm here."

Alexei jerked himself up against the pillows, his eyes
immediately finding the dark figure near the doorway. Any
distinguishing features were obscured by shadow, but he did not
need to see the man's face to know that this was his beloved Fox.

As if in a trance, he rose from the bed, willing shaky legs to
take him closer. As he moved, a few candles flickered to life,
lending just enough illumination to allow to him to see, for the
first time in over a month, the face he'd thought he'd never see
again.

Except for the uncontrollable trembling of his body, Fox stood
motionless, waiting for Alexei to reach him. The other man
stopped mere inches away, and they searched each other's eyes,
one man looking for understanding, the other for truth. Both
looking for the love that neither was sure existed.

Finding what he sought, but also tremendous hurt and
uncertainty, Alexei reached out to touch his love's face and
make the dream real. But just before his fingertips could brush
the stubbled surface of Fox's cheek, the thought of the
terrifying consequences of such an action came crashing down on
him. He recoiled as though he had been burned and began to back
away. "No," he whimpered softly, "I cannot, I...what are you
doing here, Fox? How did you come to be here?"

Before Fox could speak, a voice sounded behind him.

"I brought him."

"Daniel?" Alexei stared in shock at his friend. "*Why*? You
know what will happen. You *know*!"

Fox turned away from Daniel and watched Alexei. The fear in his
eyes and in his voice was undeniable and, in Fox's estimation,
could not be faked. In that moment, he decided.

"Alexei..."

Wild, green eyes turned back to him.

Tears again filled Fox's eyes. "It's all right."

"No! You do not understand, Fox. You cannot be here!" He choked
on his next words. "Daniel, take...take him....take him back..."

Daniel stepped forward, holding up a hand. "Alexei. Listen to
me..."

"No," Alexei grated. "If anything happens to him because of
what you have done, I swear to you, Daniel, there will be no
death slow enough or painful enough for you!"

"So..."

Alexei broke off his threat, and all three turned in the
direction of the new voice.

Malik stepped into the room, giving Fox a brief glance, then
focused on Alexei. "...this is the one whom my son would give up
an entire kingdom for."

"Father."

In an instant, Alexei was standing between Fox and Malik.
"Please...I did not bring him here. I did not *ask* to have him
brought here. He will be sent home immediately, and I promise I
will never..." He stopped to take a sobbing breath. "...never
see him again. Please...*please* do not hurt him."

Malik looked into his son's tear-filled eyes and despised
himself for all that he'd done.

"My son," he began gently, "no harm will come to him. Now,
please. Listen for a moment to a foolish old man who regrets
with all his heart the hurt he has caused. I sent Daniel for
Fox...after he forced me to stop and see the harm I was doing."

Alexei's head snapped around, and he stared at Daniel in
amazement. Malik's voice brought his attention back.

"There are so many things I must tell you, Alexei, if you ever
decide to speak to me again. But for now, just please know that
I am sorrier than you could ever know for what I have done to
you." He looked at Fox. "Both of you. I would certainly
understand if you never forgave me. If someone had done to my
love what I did to yours, forgiveness would be the last thing on
my mind."

Alexei simply stared at him.

Malik began to move away, then stopped. He looked again to his
son.

"One other thing before I go. Whether or not you decide to
forgive me, I wish with all my heart that you would reconsider
assuming the throne. It is your birthright, child, and you
should not allow my mistakes to keep you from claiming it. I
have decided that at the end of this year I will step down. I
have been considering this for some time, and now I am sure that
it is right. Before I am too old to enjoy it, I would like to
see my son become the great king I know he will be. Please,
Alexei. Take your place on the throne." He looked past Alexei to
the man who stood behind him. "With your Fox by your side."

Without another word, Malik vacated the room, followed by
Daniel, leaving Alexei and Fox very much alone.

Alexei stood with his back to the other man, almost afraid to
turn around for fear that this would turn out to be yet another
dream. Finally, he gathered his courage and slowly spun to his
right, stopping when Fox came into view. Hesitantly, Fox raised
his head, and their eyes met. Alexei took two steps forward and
raised a shaking hand to his love's face.

The touch of Alexei's fingertips on his skin released a tiny
gasp from Fox's lips, and he attempted to swallow past the large
lump that had formed in his throat. His eyes refused to stay
open as gentle fingers traced the line of his jaw, then wandered
over to his mouth.

"Will you ever forgive me?"

Fox willed his eyes to open, and he attempted to blink back the
deluge that threatened to flow. He looked into sorrowful green
eyes and slowly shook his head. "There is nothing to forgive.
You did what you had to do."

Alexei's hand slid from his face to the front of his robes,
joining the other that had anchored itself there, and he leaned
forward. Fox did the same until their foreheads rested together.
His own hands slid up to Alexei's back, and he felt a tiny
tremor begin in the other man's body. The tremor grew into a
violent shudder, and Alexei began to cry.

The tears Fox fought to hold back sprang forth then, and he let
them come. He pulled Alexei into his arms, and they clung to
each other, crying themselves into exhaustion.

When their sobs faded, each man lifted his head from the
other's shoulder and gazed into watery, bloodshot eyes.

Fox studied Alexei for a moment, brushing away his silently
falling tears, and suddenly he felt very ashamed.

"Fox?" Alexei saw Fox's expression change, and his heart leapt
into his throat. "What is it, my love?"

"I..." He shook his head, lowering his eyes. "I thought..." He
couldn't finish.

Alexei sniffed and swiped at his own cheek with the back of his
hand. "What did you think?"

"I thought that...you were...toying with me. That you had used
me, tired of me, and moved on to someone else..."

Alexei shook his head as Fox spoke.

"...It killed me to think of you in the...in the bed we shared,
with s-someone..."

"*Never*." Alexei plunged his fingers into Fox's hair, curling
them around the golden-brown strands. "You are my only love.
*Always.*

"I'm sorry," Fox murmured. "Please forgive me. I should have
known. I should have..."

"You could *not* have. I left you without a word...without a
clue. And when so much time passed, what else were you to think?"

"I...I don't know..."

Alexei leaned forward, brushing their noses together. "It is
all right, love. We can talk it all out later." His lips hovered
near Fox's but never touched them. "For now, I am just happier
than you can know to have you back."

Fox nodded silently and leaned forward for a kiss, but Alexei
pulled away. He turned his head to the side, looking in the
general direction of the bed.

"Will you come back to our bed, lord? It has been so lonely
there without you."

Fox's fingers clenched, squeezing the muscles of Alexei's back.
"Oh, yes."

Gently but efficiently, Alexei rid Fox of his upper garments
and backed toward the bed, pulling the other man with him. When
he reached his destination, he unfastened Fox's pants and let
them drop to the floor. Fox kicked them aside and stood
trembling while Alexei began to reacquaint himself with his body.

Soft, warm lips grazed his collarbone, followed by the gentle
flick of a moist tongue, and Fox moaned softly, letting his head
roll back against his shoulders. Loving hands stroked and
massaged everywhere they could reach, and his respiration grew
shallow. His hands began to tug at Alexei's light clothing, and
when the other man was completely stripped, Fox returned the
touches, licking and nipping hungrily, pulling identical moans
from his lips. He pushed Alexei onto his back and immediately
covered him, both men groaning at the feel of their bodies
pressed together.

"Fox," Alexei breathed, barely able to speak coherently as the
other man bathed his chest. "Mmm...Fox..."

Fox raised sparkling eyes to the man who was once again his
lover.

"Kiss...kiss me...."

Fox pushed himself up, stopping when the rock-hard length of
his erection pressed up alongside Alexei's. He moved in slowly,
exchanging breath with his lover, then their lips touched,
tentatively at first, brushing ever-so-lightly, then his mouth
opened and covered the one beneath him.

Alexei's fingers dug into Fox's shoulders as his lover claimed
his mouth as only he could. He squirmed beneath Fox's weight,
rubbing their erections together and drawing a desperate moan
from the man on top of him.

Fox fed hungrily on Alexei's mouth as he ground their hips
together, sucking on his lower lip and tongue, probing the warm
interior, and pulling away momentarily, only to move right back
in for more. Alexei whimpered into his mouth, his hands stroking
restlessly over Fox's back and buttocks.

Insatiable.

That's what Alexei called him, and right now, Fox could not
argue with that assessment. He felt like a starving man before
whom a banquet had just been placed. He devoured Alexei's lips,
his desperation ringing loud and clear in every touch...every
sound.

Alexei broke from the kiss, breathing raggedly against his
lover's mouth. "It has been far too long, lord. I need
you...please...my body cries for you...take me now."

More than willing to oblige, Fox nodded and kissed his lover
once more. "Prepare me," he requested softly and gasped at the
feel of a warm, slick hand encircling his erection. He forced
himself to keep from squirming as Alexei completed his task, and
as his lover raised his legs and wrapped them high around his
back, he pressed forward.

Alexei cried out with joy as he felt himself being stretched
and filled. He clutched at his lover's back, whimpering
frantically as Fox lay panting on top of him.

"Fox," he wailed, "Please...I cannot wait....the ache...the
ache...it is unbearable..."

Fox trembled at his lover's words, feeling them skitter along
every raw nerve in his body. As much as he wanted to draw this
out, to stretch out every second...linger over every touch,
every tingle, he knew that it was impossible. The long weeks of
torture they'd endured without each other built their desire to
such a feverish level that holding back was an impossibility. He
drew back just far enough to look down at the man beneath him,
and a deep shudder passed through his body.

So beautiful.

Alexei writhed under the weight of his lover's body, the pale
candlelight reflecting in his heavy-lidded gaze...absorbed by
the thick tangle of sable mane that flowed over the pillows
beneath his head. His mouth...that perfectly bowed, kiss-swollen
mouth begging for the relief only Fox could give him...

Fox plunged one hand into his hair and tucked the other under
his hip and began to move. His mouth again found Alexei's,
joining it in a desperate kiss as he repeatedly pushed his
lover's body into the mattress.

Alexei arched against Fox, meeting his steady thrusts and
contracting his muscles every time the other man withdrew. The
increasingly harsh groans that vibrated against his mouth told
him that Fox was very close to completion. He found the hand at
his hip and encouraged it to wrap around the shaft that throbbed
between them. Fox's hand began to move, milking him in time with
his thrusts, and Alexei's head snapped back. His eyes, glazed
and unfocused, stared up into the near-darkness, and clipped,
incoherent sounds fell from his lips.

"Yes," Fox choked, "yes my...my Jade...been so...long...." He
gritted his teeth and increased the strength of his thrusts. His
hand moved faster along Alexei's swollen shaft, and seconds
later, his lover's strangled cries rose into the night air.
Warm, slick fluid coated his hand as it continued to slide up
and down the still-rigid length. Fox thrust into Alexei a few
more times, and his own climax rumbled through him, rocking his
body with a series of bone-jarring explosions. He sobbed his
lover's name over and over as he emptied every last little bit
of himself into the trembling body beneath him, then collapsed,
his hand still wrapped firmly around the softening muscle.

Little shocks of pleasure still rippled through Alexei's body
as Fox lay limply on top of him. Weak arms rose and wrapped
themselves around the other's back, and when the residual
tremors faded, his body began another kind of trembling.

Gathering up the strength to move, Fox lifted his head and
found tears filling Alexei's eyes.

"My love...what is it? What's wrong?"

Alexei shook his head and pulled Fox against him, holding him
as though he would never let go.

"I n-never thought w-we would be together again."

Fox squeezed his eyes shut, holding back tears of his own. "I
know," he whispered. "But we are...we are."

"The agony of every...every day was worse than the one before..."

Fox nodded against his lover's chest. "It was unbearable. In
such a short time, you'd become my entire world, and suddenly
you were gone. The pain was like nothing I'd ever known. Even
that day in the classroom didn't compare..."

Alexei rolled, depositing Fox on the mattress beside him. He
combed his lover's hair back away from his face and looked him
in the eyes. "I never felt so powerless in all my life as I did
that day. Malik insisted that I give you up then and there, and
there was no way out of it. The only way to stop him from
hurting you was to agree to his terms. My heart stopped beating
that day, Fox. I merely existed from day to day, living inside
my head. It was the only thing he could not take away from
me..." Alexei's eyes took on a cold glint. "I will never forgive
him. He has finally righted his wrongs, but only because Daniel
confronted him, and not before he caused you a tremendous amount
of pain."

"What about you?"

"If it was just me, I could accept it and possibly find a way
to get past it, but he *hurt* you. He almost killed you. I
cannot find it within myself to forgive him."

Fox lowered his eyes. "Would...would you think me crazy if I
asked you to please reconsider?"

Alexei's brow wrinkled, and he stared in astonishment. "Yes,"
he said softly, "I think I would. He would have *killed* you,
love. You are saying to me that you could forgive that?"

"I'm merely saying that he has things to talk to you about.
Things to explain. Why don't you go and hear him out? Then if
you still want no part of him, I won't say another word about
it." Fox let the backs of his knuckles slide down the side of
his lover's face. One golden-brown eyebrow arched upward as he
held Alexei's gaze. "You must consider carefully whether or not
you really want to give up the throne...Prince Alexei."

Alexei's eyes dropped quickly from his lover's. "Is my lord
upset with me?"

Fox kissed the downturned head. "No. I just don't understand
why you didn't tell me. And you know, it's now *very* strange to
be called 'my lord' by a man poised to become a king."

Alexei burrowed into the warmth of his lover's arms. "I could
rule the world, Fox, and you would still be *my* lord and
master."

Fox hugged him tightly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did not want to throw so many shocks at you all at once. I
wanted to give you time to adjust to me being djinn. And when
the time came that I thought you were ready, I realized that I
had to tell Malik first. Knowing how he felt about humans, I
thought that he might try to make me choose between you and the
crown. If he did that, I would have chosen you, and then there
would have been no need to tell you anything."

"You would have kept such a secret from me?"

"Yes." Alexei pushed back so he could see his lover's eyes.
"Fox, what would you have done if I had come to you and told you
what I had given up in order to be with you?"

Fox lowered his head, knowing where Alexei was going with this.

"You would not have wanted me to make such a sacrifice." He
slipped a hand under Fox's chin and lifted. "Your unselfishness
is one of the hundreds of things that make me love you." He
bestowed a single, tender kiss on the other's lips. "It would
have disturbed you greatly to know that I had given up my
birthright. That is why I would not have told you. I would not
have wanted you to go through life feeling any guilt over my
decision."

"But now your father brought us back together, and you still
don't want anything to do with him or the crown."

"After what he did to you...I want nothing from him."

Fox sighed softly. "He's not giving you a gift, love. You said
it yourself. It's your birthright."

"I don't care...Amed can have it."

"Amed?"

"My brother. He is second in line."

"You have a brother..."

"Three brothers." Alexei glanced apologetically up at Fox. "And
five sisters."

Fox closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them. "Is there
anything else I should know? Any other surprises?"

"I...do not think so." Alexei thought for a moment. "No, I
think that might be all. Are you sure you are not angry?"

Fox kissed his lover's lips, then the tip of his nose. "How can
I be?"

Alexei gave him a beautiful, heart-melting smile, then snuggled
into his arms. A tiny flash of green caught his eye, and he
turned to get a better look at the string of glass beads that
Fox wore around his wrist. He linked their fingers together and
lifted Fox's hand before his face.

"What is this?"

Fox smiled and kissed Alexei's hand. "It's yours."

"Mine?"

"Well...it's Jade's. A gift from Amir." He removed the
adornment from his wrist and fastened it on Alexei's.

"That was very kind of him."

"He's a good boy."

Alexei grinned. "I assume, since you said this was for Jade,
that it is a collar?"

Fox nodded. "He actually thought it would make me smile. I
hadn't exactly been myself, and he was concerned. He thought a
gift for my cat would cheer me. Poor child. He didn't know that
it would affect me the way it did." He stroked Alexei's back,
lulled by the soft purr that rumbled against his hand. "Dana
explained to him that Jade ran away from home, and he wouldn't
accept it. He kept saying that something must have happened to
keep him away. Looking back, he had a lot more faith than I did.
I should have believed in you."

Alexei pulled away, taking Fox's face in his hands. "Stop. I
will not allow you to take any guilt upon yourself. It is not
yours to bear. Malik is to blame." He searched the beautiful
ocean of blue and green for some sign of capitulation and found
only love and profound exhaustion. "It is very late," he
whispered, brushing his fingers over the magnificently pouty
lips that he loved so much. "Sleep now. We have all the time in
the world to talk."

Fox smiled, turning onto his back and pulling Alexei into his
arms. "So we do," he replied softly, and in no time at all, both
men were soundly, peacefully asleep.

********************

Fox blinked sluggishly, only vaguely aware of his surroundings.
He grunted softly, attempting to rouse himself from slumber, but
before he could lift his head from the pillows, a warm, hard
weight settled itself over his back. A voice, smoother than fine
silk, stroked his auditory nerves.

"Good morning."

He smiled and snuggled deeper into the pillows. "It wasn't a
dream."

"No, lord," the voice moaned into his ear, then a soft, moist
presence made itself known, gently probing and tickling.

Fox shuddered at the sensation and felt himself go hard
immediately. The tongue continued to tease as Alexei's hands now
also took an active part in this early morning seduction. One
threaded through his hair, gently tousling the silken strands,
and the other stroked up and down his arm and the side of his
torso and hip.

"I adore making love to you in the morning," Alexei purred,
"when you are so sleepy and easily taken advantage of..."

Fox chuckled into the pillow. "I'm easy in the morning?"

"Mmm hmm. So sweet..." Alexei pressed his erection against his
lover's rear. "...and submissive."

Fox gasped and wiggled against the hardness that pushed against
him.

"What is it, my love?" Alexei's voice sent a twinge of fresh
desire rushing through him. "Tell me what you need."

"You," Fox grated, never ceasing to be amazed at the desire
this man could stir up in him so quickly, "I need you..."

"I am here..."

Fox whimpered and shook his head. "I need you inside me.
*Please*."

"Ohhh," the amused voice tickled the spot just behind his ear.

"Please."

"Soon, my treasure. Very soon. Just relax and let me love you."

Fox's arms closed around the pillow that his head rested on and
he moaned into it as his lover's mouth wandered the span of his
shoulders, his tongue flowing over the flexing muscles then
down, kissing and licking...tickling the downy hairs that
trailed down to the base of his spine.

The lower Alexei moved, the more frantic Fox's whimpers became.
Gentle hands glided over his lover's firm buttocks as Alexei's
tongue stroked over his lower back. His fingers pressed into the
twin mounds of muscled flesh and separated them, allowing his
tongue to dance into the crevice and over the small, tight ring
hidden within.

Fox clawed at the sheets, groaning into the pillows as his body
reacted to this new stimulation. Gentle hands held his clutching
hips steady while Alexei's tongue continued to flick over the
puckered muscle, and Fox found himself teetering closer to the
brink of orgasm than he ever had. He begged. He sobbed for
Alexei take him over the edge, but the other man ignored his
pleas, and when he felt that fleshy instrument of sensual
torture breach his entrance, he screamed, attempting to drag
himself away from the unbearable pleasure.

Alexei held Fox securely, pulling his hips back and up so that
his lower body had no contact with the mattress. His tongue
plunged deeper, fluttering within, and his overwhelmed lover's
shrieks faded until only tiny choked gasps fell from his open
mouth.

The room spun around Fox at breakneck speed, this thing Alexei
was doing to him, robbing him of the ability to sob or scream.
All he could do was clutch at the sheets by his head and hold
on. Violent tremors ran through him as the presence inside him
withdrew and pushed back in slowly, again and again. To increase
the torment, gentle fingers reached beneath him to stroke over
the fragile surface of the sac that had begun to pull up close
to his body. Fox sobbed inaudibly, his weak attempts to free
himself easily kept under control by his tormentor.

Very well aware that Fox was at  his limit, Alexei withdrew,
smoothing his tongue over the opening once more before licking
and nibbling his way back up. Once he reached the small of Fox's
back, he deviated from his course for a moment, moving back down
to one quivering cheek and sucking at the flesh. Leaving his
mark, he then moved on.

Too wrung out to do much more, Fox lay trembling and softly
whining into the pillow as his lover played his body with
masterful precision.

Slowly, Alexei moved up the length of his spine, leaving a
tingling trail of gooseflesh. By the time he reached the back of
Fox's neck, he was draped over his back, and his erection was
again pressed up against the place his tongue had just been.

A gentle hand swept the hair from Fox's neck and over his
shoulder, and he felt the warm, sweet breath fanning the
sensitive spot just at the hairline.

"Now," Alexei growled against his skin, making him flinch at
the sensation, "I will have you."

Fox's cries pierced the morning air as Alexei sank into him
with one stroke. His muscles failed him, and his lower body
began to drop to the mattress, but a strong arm came up under
him, lifting him again to his knees and holding him there while
his lover established a steady, driving rhythm. A small sob was
forced from him with every thrust, and when Alexei shifted
slightly and drove into him from a different angle, a wild
scream tore from his throat.

Alexei answered Fox with a low snarl, and grasping his lover's
long-ignored erection, he began to pump it in exact time to his
thrusts. Loud, angry grunts made their way past his gritted
teeth as he moved faster and harder, taking Fox with him into
the sweet madness that they only knew together.

Wave upon wave of excruciating pleasure washed over Fox, and
his cries joined Alexei's as both men weakened and fell to the
mattress. They lay twitching together, both too drained to move.
The weight of Alexei's relaxed body crushed Fox to the bed, but
he had neither the strength nor the inclination to push him off.

Alexei lay stretched along the length of Fox's back, purring
softly with every breath. His tongue inched out to lap at the
droplets of perspiration that dotted his lover's shoulder, and
he smiled weakly at the soft moan.  "Did my love enjoy that?"

"Mmmm. You're wicked. Wicked, wicked...wicked..."

"I shall just take that as a yes."

"Please do."

"Ready to go again?" he asked, gently nipping at the slick skin.

"Are you insane?" came the muffled answer. Fox lifted his head
just far enough to speak clearly. "I'll be lucky if I can *walk*
after that."

"Ah, my beautiful jewel," Alexei whispered softly against his
skin, "there is so much I want to do to you."

"Will I survive it?"

"Of course." Alexei gave him an evil little chuckle. "But just
barely."

"Well, *that's* comforting."

The smile that Fox could feel against his shoulder faded, and
Alexei looked down at him. "I love you, my precious Fox. More
than you will ever know."

Fox called up the energy he needed and rolled Alexei off of his
back. He turned onto his side and snuggled into the other man's
arms. "I know. After yesterday, I know."

They fell silent for long moments, then the sound of Alexei's
voice brought Fox back from the edges of sleep.

"Do you really believe that I should see my father?"

They shifted again, and now Alexei was on his back, Fox pressed
to his side, golden-brown head resting in the cradle of his arm.
He lightly traced the faint scars on his lover's chest. "Yes.
He's your father, Jade. What he did may be reprehensible, but he
regrets it now. Don't you want to know why? Not to take any
credit from Daniel, but there's *got* to be more to it than what
he told you tonight."

Alexei heaved a long sigh. "I..I am really having a very
difficult time getting past the fact that he almost killed you.
I could have lost you for all eternity. I could not have lived
knowing that you were not on this earth. How can I forgive that?"

"But it didn't happen..."

"Because I agreed to never lay eyes on you *again*...which was
a death sentence in its own right."

"He's remorseful, Alexei. He listened to Daniel and sent him
after me. He didn't have to do that."

Alexei's eyes rolled up into his head, and his lids closed over
them. He lay quietly for a few minutes, then opened his eyes,
turning them to the man who watched him intently. "You are a
truly remarkable man." He bent his head to capture Fox's mouth
in a tender kiss, then released him. "All right. I will go to
see Malik....will you accompany me?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes." Alexei brushed the hair back from Fox's face. "From here
on out, whatever happens, happens to both of us."

Hazel eyes sparkled up at him. "I'm glad you feel that way.
*We* need to see Dana."

"But...does she not wish to murder me?"

Fox laughed softly. "Oh, yes she does."

Alexei drew back, eyes wide. "And you would just throw me to
the lions?"

"Aww, my love. I promise I'll be standing right behind you."

Alexei sank down amongst the pillows. "Why do I not find that
particularly comforting?"

********************

"Fox?"

Dana moved from room to room looking for her friend, growing
more frightened with each step.

"Fox? Oh God, please. Where did he go?"

"Dana."

The petite woman whirled around and practically fell into Fox's
arms.

"Thank God! Where have you been? I..." She cut herself off in
mid-rattle and set an icy stare upon the man standing a few feet
away. "What are you doing here?" She stepped between Fox and
Alexei. "Why are you *here*?"

"Dana..."

She turned to face Fox, saw the look in his eyes, and shook her
head. "No...oh, no. Don't tell me..."

Fox smiled reassuringly. "Dana, there's so much to explain."

"And who's going to do the explaining." She turned back on
Alexei. "*Him*?"

Alexei's gaze lowered to the floor.

"Dana, listen to me." Fox touched her arm, drawing her
attention back. "There were very good reasons for him to stay
away."

Dana sighed sadly. "Oh, Fox. I know how much you wanted him
back. But you can't *do* this. You're setting yourself up to be
hurt again."

Alexei spoke for the first time. "No, Dana. I love Fox. I would
never do anything to hurt him."

"Oh, *no*? What do you call what you've done for the last
several weeks? That wasn't hurt? I was afraid every single day
that he would go and do something *stupid* because of you! And
now you're back. Why? You haven't tormented him enough? Maybe
you can do a proper job and *really* kill him this time!"

Alexei flinched at her words and looked away. Fox was at his
side instantly, pulling him into his arms.

"Dana...you don't understand. If he *hadn't* left me, I would
have died."

"*What*?"

"Please..." Fox waved her toward a chair. "Let's sit down. Let
us explain it to you."

At the end of their story, both men fell into silence, watching
the woman who sat across from them, waiting for some reaction.

Dana looked from Fox to Alexei then back again. "That is one
fantastic tale."

"Any more fantastic than Alexei being a genie?" Fox challenged.

"N-no, that was quite unbelievable."

"Yet, you believed it."

"The proof was in front of my eyes. I couldn't dispute it. All
I have here is this...story."

"A story that *I've* told you. It's true, Dana. Every word."

Dana looked back to Alexei, studying the expression in his
eyes. "I can't believe I'm going to trust you again."

"I do not know how to prove to you that I live for this man,
Dana. Every breath I take...every beat of my heart is for him,
and I was every bit as devastated as he was while we were apart."

Dana sighed heavily, then nodded. "All right. You've got
another chance. But I'll not take my eye off you, and I will not
hesitate to advise Fox if I feel that something is not right."

"I am very glad he has a friend as devoted as you."

Fox rose and drew Dana up and into his arms. "I'm happy again,
Dana," he whispered. "Please don't worry. He *does* love me."

Dana pulled back and gave him a soft smile. "It's so good to
see you back to yourself. But I mean what I say. If I see
something I don't like, you *will* hear about it."

"I'd expect no less." Fox kissed her cheek, then turned to his
lover who had come to stand a few feet behind them. "We must go
now. Alexei has to prepare for the meeting with his father."

"All right."

Alexei kissed the side of Fox's head and gave Dana a wary
smile. "May we have your company one day soon for dinner? Daniel
will be so pleased to see you."

"I'll let you know."

Alexei nodded and bowed. "Goodbye, Dana. Thank you."

They vanished before her eyes, and Dana raised her hands to her
face, covering her eyes, and groaned softly. She stood quietly
for a moment, then walked slowly from the house.

********************

After a long, leisurely bath together, the two men returned to
their bed chamber where Fox dropped naked across the bed and
watched Alexei choose his clothing.

"I'm glad you decided to speak to your father."

Alexei grunted. "I am only doing it because you asked me to. I
could very easily go the rest of my life without..." He turned
to face Fox, and his words left him.

"Go the rest of your life without..."

"Hmm?"

One gold-flecked eye opened and focused on the standing man.
"You said that you could easily go the rest of your life
without...then you stopped. "Go the rest of your life without
what?"

"I do not remember...have you any idea how incredibly delicious
you look lying there?"

Fox turned his head, chuckling to himself. "Something tells me
that I had better get up and get dressed or we'll never get out
of here..."

Before he had a chance to rise from the bed, Alexei was
kneeling over him, nuzzling his face and throat. "But I would
much *rather* stay here."

"I know," Fox cooed, "but the sooner we go, the sooner it will
be done."

"All right, all right." Pouting, Alexei rose and helped Fox to
his feet. Unable to help himself, he allowed his hands to skim
over his lover's body as he walked past.

"Behave," Fox warned, smiling as he continued on his way. A few
minutes later, he was dressed and ready to go, and Alexei was
still fussing with his clothing. He approached his lover and
wrapped his arms around his chest. "You're stalling," he
whispered into one gold hoop-adorned ear.

"No..."

"Oh, yes, you are." Fox finished helping Alexei dress, then led
him to a chair, and pushed him down into it. He retrieved his
own hairbrush from the nearby table and began to run it in long
strokes over his lover's head, and down the length of his hair.

Alexei's eyes drifted shut, and a soft rumble sounded in his
chest.

Fox smiled as he watched the other man writhe in sensual bliss.
"You behave as though no one has ever brushed your hair before."

"No one ever has," Alexei sighed, eyes still closed. "I simply
just..." His hand fluttered through the air as he spoke.

"Not even when you were a child? Your mother? A servant?"

"I do not recall. That was a very long time ago."

Fox continued drawing the brush through the silky strands,
following each stroke with the palm of his other hand. "Odd that
a man who has introduced me to such extreme pleasures would know
nothing of ones as simple as this." The brush left the surface
of Alexei's hair and came up from underneath, starting at the
nape of his neck and grazed upward. Again, his other hand
followed, gathering the sable tresses together and holding them
for another pass of the brush.

Alexei groaned audibly and arched his neck, prompting an amused
laugh from Fox.

"It's not supposed to be arousing, you know."

"No?"

"No. It's *supposed* to be relaxing."

"Sorry. It is simply that your every touch sets my blood to
boiling."

Fox put the brush down and combed his fingers through Alexei's
hair, letting the heavy strands fall into place against his
back. He leaned in, wrapping his arms around the other's
shoulders, and strung a trail of kisses along his jaw. "Well,
turn that boil down to a simmer, because we really must get
going."

Alexei sounded a frustated growl, then wound an arm around
Fox's neck and brought their lips together before releasing him.
Fox assisted with his turban, Alexei made one last check of his
appearance, and finally, they were off to see Malik.

********************

Malik paced the room, stopping only long enough to throw an
occasional glance at the door or the man who sat watching him.

"Sire," Daniel began, "you must remain calm..."

"How can I, Daniel? My son is coming here to confront me with
the terrible things I have done to him and his mate. He may
leave here today and never see me again. He may walk away from
the throne and everything that is rightfully his because his
father was a blind fool."

"You will not know that until he tells you. Getting upset about
it now before you speak to him is not going to help..."

The doors opened, drawing the attention of both men. Alexei
stalked in, the stark white silks he was attired in billowing
out behind him. He looked more like himself than he had in
several weeks, and the defiant set of his jaw and arrogant gleam
in his eye were a welcome sight for Malik. Gray eyes flicked
from Alexei to the one who walked beside him. He was beautiful,
this Fox. Graceful and regal in his flowing robes of blue and
gold, he and Alexei struck an exquisite picture.

Glittering emerald eyes flashed from Malik to Daniel, and
Alexei walked over to him. He stood in front of his friend,
speaking softly despite the combative gleam in his eye.

"I did not get to thank you last night."

Daniel grinned. "The look on your face as we left was thank you
enough."

"No. I do not know that I will *ever* be able to thank you
properly for the risk you took for me. And I also must apologize
and beg your forgiveness for the threat I made to you."

"It is all right, Alexei. You had no idea. As far as you could
see, Fox was in danger, and I was the one who put him there.
There was no other way for you to react."

Alexei stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his friend,
hugging him tightly. "Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for
giving me my life back."

"My pleasure, my friend." The two men separated, then Daniel
leaned in again, murmuring in a confidential tone. "Might we
uh...discuss what I am to do about the lovely Dana later on?"

Alexei grinned and nodded. Then, taking Fox's hand, he turned
toward Malik. The humor vanished, and his tone turned business-
like.

"Well, Father. I am here. Say what you wanted to say."

Malik drew a deep breath and motioned to a pair of tufted
chairs. "Please. Sit. This may take a while."

Alexei led Fox to one of the chairs and, once he was
comfortably seated, took up position behind him.

Malik looked from one man to the other. "You do not wish to
sit, son?"

"I prefer to stand," came the acid reply.

The older man sighed then lowered himself into a facing chair.
"As you wish." He watched his son catch his lover's hand in his
and bring it to his lips. The two exchanged a tender glance,
then their attention focused back on him.

"Now. What do you wish to say?"

Malik paused a moment, then began. "Alexei....Fox....allow me
to say again how terribly, terribly sorry I am for what I have
done to you. But if I may try to explain my actions...Alexei, I
know all you saw was a cruel deed committed by a man who, for
his own selfish reasons, wanted to keep you from your human
lover. This is not true. In my own way, I was trying to protect
you..."

"From *what*?

Malik ran his hands over his face and through his hair.
"Alexei, I know of no other way to say this except to just say
it. You know that I never spoke much of your...your mother."

"Yes, but what has she..."

Malik held up a hand. "She has much to do with it. After she
was gone, I never found reason to tell you or your brothers and
sisters that she was..." He took a long, deep breath and
released it. "...human."

Alexei's fingers tightened around Fox's. "What?"

"You are half human, Alexei."

Alexei stared, for a moment too shocked to respond, then the
room shook with his anger. "And you did not think it important
enough to tell us?"

"*No*. All of you seemed to have inherited much of my genes.
The others all took only minor characteristics from your mother
as far as I could see. Except for you. You look so much like
her. But...there still seemed to be no glaring
discrepancies...there was nothing that you would question..."

"I do not understand! Why was it such a *secret*?"

"I was not ashamed of your mother, Alexei, before that idea
comes into your head. I loved her with all of my heart and soul.
The simple matter of it is, it *hurt* to discuss her. She was
*human*, son. I know that you have not given consideration, as I
did not, to the fact that we outlive humans by many years. *Far*
too many, when you are deeply in love with one." He looked from
Alexei's distressed face to Fox's. "I knew how much you loved
him. I knew it immediately that day you came to me. And it
frightened me more than I had ever been. You are my son, Alexei.
The closest connection I have to your mother, and it tore at my
heart to think of you in years to come, as devastated at the
loss of your love as I. I thought if I could stop it now, if I
could..." His eyes continued to jump from one to the other.
"...but it is too late for that now, and all I can do is
apologize."

Alexei fixed an unfocused gaze on a spot on the floor just
beyond the chair in which Fox sat. Thoughts of himself in years
to come, spending decade upon decade without his precious Fox,
sent tremors through his body.

Fox pulled himself out of his chair and came to stand before
his stricken lover. "Alexei? It....it is inevitable in every
relationship that one partner will die first. The difference
here is that we can be fairly sure it will be me. If...if you
feel that you can't, or...or you don't want to...to deal with
that for as long as you will obviously have to...if you want
to...." Fox paused, looking for the strength to say it, "...to
end this..."

Alexei's head snapped up. "*No*." He practically fell into
Fox's arms. "No. How can you even ask me that?"

Fox wrapped his arms around his lover's back and held him
close. "I don't know. I just...I just don't know what else to
say to you. I just want you to know that I would understand if
you felt you wanted to..."

"*Never*, Fox. I love you and I will *not* walk away from you.
If we had just two more *days* together, they would be worth the
agony I would suffer for the rest of my life."

"That is exactly the way I felt about my Katarina," Malik
offered softly. "It was wrong of me to try to take that decision
out of your hands..."

Alexei did not hear a word that his father had just said to
him. He was too wrapped up in his present pain to process
anything more. Eyes closed, he clung tightly to Fox, needing the
warmth only his love could provide.

Fox rocked Alexei gently, drawing a hand up and down his back.
"Jade...my love, listen to me. You've had quite a shock today.
You need time to absorb it all. Come. Let's go home." Fox looked
to Malik. "Unless there are any other disturbing bits of news
you'd like to share."

"No," Malik sighed. "No, you are right. He needs time to accept
what he has learned." He reached out to touch his son's
shoulder. "He has never had to face death, Fox. I did all I
could to shelter him when his mother passed. And everyone else
he knows is of our own kind. I can see that it was wrong of me
to keep it from him....*and* his brothers and sisters. They are
all adults now and incapable of dealing with a natural fact of
life. Forgive me, but as I am sure that he will not allow me, I
believe it is now up to you to make him understand."

Fox gave the old man a chilly stare. "I'll take care of him,"
he said, an air of authority in his posture.

"I know you will. I will see that you both get home now."

At this, the other man who had been observing silently from a
far corner of the room now stepped forward. "I will take them
home," Daniel offered. "Fox, would you mind if I accompanied
you? I will remain unobtrusive, but I will be there if you need
me."

"No, Daniel, I don't mind. Thank you."

"If I might," Malik broke in just as they were ready to leave,
"I would very much like to visit you tomorrow...to see that he
is all right."

Fox paused to see if Alexei would answer for himself. The other
man remained silent.

"I will speak with him tonight about it, and Daniel...." he
looked to the man who had come to stand beside them. "will let
you know?"

Daniel nodded his agreement.

"Very well." Malik ran a hand lightly down his son's arm.
"Alexei, I am so very sorry. All the pain you have suffered
these past weeks is my fault. If there is anything at all that I
can do..."

No response.

Malik turned his focus on Fox. "You are indeed as special as he
said. I do not know if I could be so generous as to speak
civilly to the man who had done what I did to you."

Fox gave no answer, only tightened his hold on the man in his
arms and looked over at Daniel and nodded. Seconds later, the
three were standing in Fox and Alexei's bed chamber.

"We're home now," Fox murmured against Alexei's cheek. "Come.
Why don't you lie down for a while?"

Alexei released his grip on Fox just long enough for the other
man to help him out of  his clothing. When only his pants
remained, Fox settled him into bed. Before he could straighten
up, Alexei clutched at him, holding him where he was.

"Do not leave me."

"I'm not going to leave you," Fox reassured him, happy to hear
him finally speak. "I'm only going to step out of the room with
Daniel for a minute, and then I will be right back, I promise."

Reluctantly, Alexei loosened his hold and allowed Fox to move
away. He watched as his lover retreated to the door and with a
soft smile, disappeared with Daniel from the room. Once Fox was
out of sight, he propped himself up against the pillows, waiting
less than patiently as he tried to rid his mind of thoughts of a
time when Fox would never walk back through that door. But the
images grew stronger and more vivid, and soon his attempts at
normal breathing fell to a series of panicked gasps.

Unable to stay put any longer, he leapt out of bed and began to
pace, raking a hand through his hair. Movement seemed to be
doing no good, and he turned to the open doors that led to the
veranda. He stepped out onto the cool marble and gulped in the
fresh air as he tried yet again to stop his mind from working.
As he battled to shut it down, another thought pushed its way
in, and he found that the more he considered this new notion,
the calmer he grew. His breathing slowly returned to normal, and
the frantic pounding of his heart quieted. Alexei looked out
over the land and nodded.

********************

"I thought all the pain was behind us," Fox said, looking down
at the patch of floor between him and Daniel.

"There is much for him to absorb," Daniel reasoned. "Fox,
Alexei will be all right. With you by his side, he will snap out
of this state that he is in."

"Yes, and what about when I am no longer by his side?"

"He will be shattered, there is no doubt of that. But he is a
stronger man than his father, and if Malik can survive such a
loss, then so shall he. He only needs time for it to sink in.
When it does, he will find a way to put it into perspective."

"I hope so," Fox said softly. "Usually, this is a subject
confronted when most people are children. The older one gets,
the more....Daniel?"

"Yes"

"How old is he?"

"In human years?" Daniel closed one eye and counted silently.
"Ninety-eight."

"And you?"

"In your years, I am considerably older than he. I am....one
hundred and eighty-two."

Fox cocked his head. "When you were his age, how mature were
you?"

Daniel shook his head. "Not very, now that you mention it.
Alexei is far more mature at this age than I was. What are you
thinking?"

"He's half-human, Daniel. His aging process is not like mine,
but it's not like yours either. It would seem that it may be
somewhere in between."

"So....so you are *saying* that he will *not* outlive you by as
many years as Malik says."

"It's possible that he may be even more human than his father
thinks."

"How could Malik not realize?"

"I don't know. In all walks of life, there are those who mature
faster than others, but there may be more to this than Alexei
just being an early bloomer." He looked toward the door. "I
should go back in. He wasn't especially thrilled that I left him
in the first place."

Daniel nodded and backed up a step. "All right. I will be here
in the house should he decide he wants to talk to me."

"Thank you, Daniel. You are a very good friend."

"He is the closest thing I have to a brother. I will do
anything I can for him." Daniel gave Fox a warm smile, then
turned and disappeared from sight.

Fox re-entered the room, and his heart immediately leapt into
his throat as he viewed the empty bed.

//Where is he? Where would he have...//

The panic seeped away as he caught sight of his lover just
outside the doors, looking out over the trees. He walked over
toward Alexei, stopping just inside the room and called softly.

"Alexei? Are you all right?"

Serene green eyes turned to him. "Yes."

Fox smiled. "You look better."

"I feel better."

"What brought the change?"

"I have been thinking. There is nothing I can do to hold you to
this life when it is time for you to leave, but there *is*
something I can do about staying behind."

Fox's eyebrows lowered into a frown. "What are you saying?"

"It is very simple, my love. The day you leave this world, I
will leave with you."

"No..." Fox shook his head. "..you can't do that."

"The thing that I cannot do, Fox, is live without you. And I
will not."

"No..."

Alexei tilted his head. "How can you love me, yet ask me to
stay behind and suffer your loss for the considerable number of
my remaining years?"

"Alexei, listen to me. You've received two very large shocks
today. You've found out that your mother was human, and you've
only just been confronted head on with the idea of the death of
a loved one. Everything your father has done or in this case has
not done was to protect you. I'm just coming to realize how very
much he loves you. He's just gone about it in the wrong way. He
thought he was protecting you, but all his protection did was
leave you totally unprepared for a perfectly natural progression
of life." Fox reached out to cup his lover's chin. "It happens
all over the world, every day. People lose their mothers, their
fathers, husbands and wives. They hurt, they grieve, and then
they go on. If they didn't, there would *be* no world."

Alexei blinked, unable to understand how Fox could speak so
matter-of-factly about something so horrendous. "If..." He
stopped then started again. "If it were reversed and it was you
who would have to spend years and years alone...could you still
be so objective?"

Fox stepped forward and wound his arms around Alexei's waist.
"I'm not trivializing your pain, love. I'm simply asking that
you don't dwell on it. It won't make the years we do have
together very pleasant if you're brooding every day about
something you can do nothing about."

Deepest green eyes burned into his. "You did not answer my
question."

Fox stared for a moment, then let his gaze drop away. "No. I
could not be so objective. From my experience, no one can be.
Not at the time of loss. But with time, it gets better. And then
the things that used to bring unimaginable pain become a
comfort. And you can remember and smile instead of cry. I have
lovely memories of my mother and father, and though I'm still
greatly saddened that they are no longer with me, I am comforted
in the knowledge that they loved me and someday I *will* see
them again....you and *I* will be together again..."

Alexei nodded. "Yes. We will be. Only I will not wait a few
hundred years for it."

Fox stroked his lover's face. "You *must* stay until it is your
time to go. There is much you have to accomplish. You've got a
kingdom to rule. People to care for..."

Alexei shook his head. "I have yet to agree to assume the
throne. Now I have even less reason to want to."

Fox released him and took a few steps away. "I'm turning your
life upside down..."

"No. Not you."

"If I were not in your life, Alexei, half of the things you
learned today would be of no consequence to you. You would
fulfill your destiny and live your life the way you were meant
to. I hate thinking that this is what loving me has done to
you.. If I had known, I..." Fox bit off his words, but Alexei
finished them for him.

"What? You never would have come back to me?"

Fox shook his head and said nothing.

"That *is* what you were going to say."

"Yes. But what is the point? Whether I returned or not, either
way, you would be suffering."

There was anger mixed with the hurt in Alexei's tone, and for
the first time, it was directed at Fox. "And so it would have
been better if we had never met at all."

Fox closed his eyes and lowered his head. "No," he said just
above a whisper. "I didn't say that."

"You did not have to. It is what is in your mind."

"It's not the way you think..."

"You wish we had never met. How many different ways can I
understand that?"

Fox whirled around to face his irrational lover. "How can you
know what's in my head but not my heart? I *love* you. Why do
you think I hurt so much when we were apart? Why do you think I
buried all my doubts and fears and came *back*?"

Alexei shrugged. "You did not expect more problems. You think
that the decisions I am making are your responsibility, and you
do not want to carry that." He moved around Fox and came to
stand before him. "Do not concern yourself with it. All
decisions I make are my *own*. If you cannot live with them, I
will not ask you to stay!"

Fox looked up into glittering dark pools. He wondered if Alexei
realized how easily his eyes gave him away. The words were cold,
the tone angry, but the fear in his eyes negated all that he
said. Fox could have called his bluff and asked to be sent back,
but he would not heap that trauma on top of all that Alexei had
to deal with already. In the heat of the moment, he might very
well send Fox back, then spend who knew how long hating himself.

Fox took a deep breath and walked to the door. With a slight
hesitation, he swung it open and walked out of the room. Alexei
watched silently, biting down on his lip to keep it from
quivering as the one he loved disappeared from his sight.

********************

Daniel raised his head from the book he'd been reading just in
time to see Fox walk past him and head out of the house. "Fox?"
He rose from his chair, tossing the book down onto it, and began
to follow the other man. "Fox, where are you going?"

The answer was vague and went almost unheard. "For a walk."

Sensing something was not right, Daniel stayed on Fox's trail,
their journey ending at the stream where Alex and Fox spent so
much of their time.

"Something is wrong," Daniel observed softly as Fox sat on a
large rock and stared down into the water.

"He's very upset."

"Well, we know this..."

"With me."

"But...not more than a few minutes ago, he was clinging to you
like a burr. I do not understand."

"Neither does he. Alexei is feeling very helpless right now,
and he doesn't know how to handle it. He's not thinking clearly,
and he sees my attempts at reason as indifference to his
feelings." He shook his head. "I didn't help. I was so upset at
the things he was saying that I started thinking that he would
have been better off if he'd never known me. That truly upset
him. He suggested that if that's the way I felt, I might want to
just leave."

Red eyebrows drew down into a confused frown. "Fox....he did
not mean that."

"I know."

"And I cannot believe that you really think he would have been
better off without you."

"I was thinking that, yes. But that isn't the way things worked
out. We *did* meet. We *are* together, and I would never give
him up now. He's my life, Daniel. Those weeks without him almost
killed me. Alexei can't see this, but perhaps you can. I love
him, but I've hurt him. Not purposely and not knowingly. If I
had walked away from him the day he spoke to me in the
village...if I had taken my book and left, his life would have
gone on. He might have been a little disappointed that I
wouldn't speak to him, but his life would not have been turned
inside out."

Daniel stared at the other man. "Do you not know that Alexei
has loved you from the first time he laid eyes on you? You were
all I heard about from sunup to sundown. *He* pursued *you*. It
was his sworn mission to win your heart, and in case you have
not yet noticed, Prince Alexei is one very persuasive
individual."

"He told me that he loved me from the beginning."

"Did you not believe him?"

Fox opened his mouth as if to speak but fell silent.

"Fox, what I am saying to you is no matter what you said or did
not say...not matter what you did or did not do, it would have
made no difference. He has loved you since he first set eyes on
you, and from that moment, he became susceptible to hurt. So if
you think that if you had never talked to him, he would have
been all right, you are wrong."

"But the hurt wouldn't have been as deep."

"I am not so sure about that. Alexei is a deeply passionate
man...not that I really need to tell you any of this...the day
he fell in love with you, he did not only fall part of the way.
He plunged headlong. And so, what I am trying to say is I
believe that if you had rejected him that day in the village, he
would have been *quite* heartbroken. I am sorry, Fox, but it
seems as though in laying eyes on you, Alexei was destined for
pain."

"Well, thank you," Fox said in his soft monotone. "I feel so
much better."

Daniel clenched his hands in his hair. "I am sorry. I knew it
would not come out right. I am simply saying that it is not your
fault that he is hurting."

Fox closed his eyes and drew a deep breath as he turned away.
"The day that I leave this earth, he wishes to follow."

"What?"

"He wants to end his life. He says he refuses to stay without
me." Daniel rested his head in folded hands. "He means it."

"I know he means it. I can't let him."

"What choice will *you* have?"

"I have to talk him out of it *now*."

"That is where all this trouble began, is it not?"

"Yes. He doesn't understand why I would want him to stay behind
and suffer."

"Why *do* you?"

Fox directed a stunned stare at the other man. "You too?"

Daniel said nothing.

"Of course I don't want him to suffer, Daniel. But he would
have an entire kingdom to rule...though he is more determined
than ever that he will not...how could he just throw aside such
a tremendous responsibility?"

"We would not be without a ruler. Amed would assume the throne."

"How...how can you say this so easily? Life is precious,
Daniel. You would just stand by and watch your best friend end
his?"

"If my choice was between that and watching him live in agony
for the rest of his days? I would miss him terribly, but yes.
Yes, I would. Fox, you and he are obviously at opposite ends of
this issue. I suggest you find some middle ground, and I suggest
you do it soon. I went through *weeks* of watching him brood. I
will not do it with two of you."

Fox sighed softly and turned his attention back to the water.

********************

The sun began to set, casting long shadows on the ground, and
still Fox sat quietly by the stream. He had moved from the rock
to the soft grass, leaning against a tree and listened to the
drone of Daniel's voice. He appreciated the other man's attempts
to keep his mind occupied, but soon, his voice and the babble of
the stream blended to the point where Fox could no longer
distinguish between the two.

The approach of a third presence drew him out of his thoughts.
His eyes rose and did a quick search, revealing the form of his
lover drifting into the shadow of a nearby tree.

Alexei stood quietly, head tilted downward. He risked a brief
glance at Fox through downswept lashes, then turned his gaze
back to the ground.

"Well," Daniel broke the thick silence. "You two have much to
discuss...or at least you should have. I will just leave you to
it." He laid an understanding hand on Alexei's shoulder, then he
was gone, leaving the two men to each other.

Each man remained motionless, eyeing the other warily. Finally,
Alexei spoke.

"I...the way I behaved was inexcusable. You tried to help me
understand a thing I know nothing of, and I turned on you. I do
not know why I would do such a thing. You are every beat of my
heart, and I would sooner die than hurt you."

Fox rose from his perch and closed the distance between them.
He slid his fingers under the other man's chin and lifted. Once
he had Alexei's attention, his fingers caressed the underside of
his jaw, then moved to cup his cheek. "You were very upset." His
thumb rasped against the lightly-stubbled surface.
"Understandably so. I should have been more sensitive to what
you were feeling."

Alexei shook his head and started to speak, but Fox stopped
him. He leaned forward until their faces were mere inches from
each other. "We'll work it through. Right now I think we need to
back away from it, though...concentrate on something else for a
while."

The question in Alexei's eyes was answered as Fox's lips
covered his in a soft whisper of a kiss. He stood trembling as
Fox pulled away, tilted his head in the opposite direction, and
kissed him again. He felt the warm pinprick of rushing blood
through every part of his body as his lover's mouth slid across
his then away. His eyes fluttered then focused on the sea of
glittering blue-green before him.

"Come lie down with me by the water," Fox whispered. "Let me
love you." He backed up slowly, and Alexei followed, hypnotized
by his voice and the look of desire dancing in his eyes. Once he
reached his destination, he stopped, raising both hands to his
lover's chest. Slowly his fingertips teased the warm flesh,
pulling breathy moans from the other. He slid the already open
robe from Alexei's shoulder's and kissed a gentle trail along
his collarbone, winning a long, soft gasp. When he reached the
curve of Alexei's shoulder, his arms slipped around the lean
waist, pulling his lover close. Their mouths met once more, as
tenderly as with their previous kiss, and Fox's hands wandered
the length of Alexei's back, stroking over bone and quivering
muscle.

Alexei whimpered softly, the vibration tickling Fox's lips as
he felt his lover's hands move lower and lower until they
slipped beneath the white silk of his pants. He writhed and
ground his hips against Fox's, and the hands that covered his
rear gently squeezed and caressed the muscle, encouraging his
responses.

Fox's hands glided up and down over the rounded flesh,
alternating between firm and gentle strokes and driving the
recipient of his attentions to the edge of madness.

"Fox," Alexei panted, breaking from his kiss. "Please...."

"Shhh..."

Alexei sucked his lower lip into his mouth in an attempt to
remain silent as Fox slipped the silk down his legs, kneeling in
the grass before him, and pulled the material away. He forced
his eyes to open and looked down into his lover's aroused face.
He emitted a soft grunt as Fox's eyes closed and he leaned
forward, brushing his full lips over the trembling flesh of his
abdomen. Gentle fingers slid up his thighs to his buttocks,
holding him in their light grip as that mouth continued to work
its magic, moving lower and lower until he could feel Fox's warm
breath playing over the glistening tip of his erection.

Fox nudged the head of the engorged shaft with the tip of his
nose, the scent of his lover's arousal feeding his own. His
fingers flexed involuntarily in the taught muscle they held, and
his tongue inched out, stroking along the large vein on the
underside of Alexei's erection. As he reached the head, his
tongue flicked around the surface, lapping off every last bit of
moisture there. The man standing before him let out a strangled
sob, and restless fingers raked through his hair. He could feel
Alexei's impatience and his struggle to hold himself together,
and Fox decided to torment him no more. He pulled his lover down
into the grass, laying him on his back, then removed his own
clothing. That done, he kneeled over Alexei's prone body,
straddling his hips.

Alexei looked up into eyes that had turned almost black with
passion. His hands skimmed Fox's thighs again and again, each
time coming closer to the twitching muscle that strained toward
him. Finally he reached the base, sliding his thumb up and down
along the shaft, his tongue slithering out to moisten dry lips.
He watched Fox's eyes close as his other fingers curled around
the hard warmth and squeezed gently.

Fox's hips shifted, and he pushed himself into Alexei's hand,
pulled back, then moved forward again, encouraging his lover to
slowly pump him. His neck arched, and a deep moan rumbled in his
chest as his body began to throb in time to Alexei's lazy
caresses. He kneeled there above the man that he adored,
accepting his loving attention until he felt that all too
familiar coiling in his lower body. He knew it must stop, or
there was no way that he would be able to do what he asked
Alexei to let him do. Gently, his hand covered the other man's
and stopped his movement. He pulled the hand away and laid a
kiss in the palm before shifting position and coming to kneel
between his lover's parted legs.

"Are you ready for me?"

Alexei nodded and moved closer, lifting his hips toward Fox.
The other man grasped and pulled him forward onto his thighs,
and Alexei's legs immediately clamped around his back. He felt
the thick presence pressing toward its goal, and he lay
trembling as it burrowed into him, stretching him to accommodate
its width. Once completely embedded in his heat, Fox stopped
moving, provoking a groan of protest.

"Easy," the soft monotone whispered. Fox caressed his chest,
tracing the barely-visible scars that ran across it. "Easy, my
love."

Alexei breathed deeply, trying for all he was worth to keep
himself from bucking against his lover. He shook with the
effort, and a stream of  restless whimpers fell from his lips.

"My beautiful Jade..." Fox pushed forward, wedging himself even
more tightly inside of his lover, watching a grimace cross his
face. "Feel me inside you." He withdrew a fraction, then pushed
back in, attempting to reach deeper. "We are..." he paused for a
shaky breath, then continued, "..are part of each other forever."

Alexei sobbed at Fox's words, which were punctuated by another
deep thrust. "Fox," he cried, "please...it is such...such
torture...*please*..."

Fox grasped the hard column of flesh that lay between them and
slid his hand along its length. Alexei thrashed beneath him,
wailing his name, and he began a series of long thrusts,
accompanied by the matching rhythm of his hand.

Alexei arched, lifting the whole of his back off the ground as
he growled through clenched teeth. The action tightened his
muscles, squeezing Fox and shredding the other man's control to
bits.

Fox barely heard his own choked moans above the roar in his
head. Working on blind instinct, he held Alexei's hip in the
bruising grip of one hand while the other jerked his erection in
time to increasingly harder and faster thrusts. His body began
to shake uncontrollably, then all his muscles suddenly seized as
his orgasm blasted through him, releasing an endless gush of hot
fluid into his lover.

Alexei felt the warmth flood his insides and heard Fox's harsh
cries of completion, and then he found his own release as his
lover froze for an instant, then started to thrust again,
erratically. He clutched at the grass beneath him, and a long,
feral scream gurgled past his constricting throat. A warm, slick
geyser shot endlessly over Fox's hand and his own belly, and
when it was finally done, his legs slipped from around Fox's
back, sliding down to rest on the cool green ground, and the
other man fell onto his chest. They lay together panting and
gasping for breath for a long while before Fox lifted his head
and looked down into damp emerald eyes.

"This is the way I want to spend our lives. Just like this."

The eyes crinkled and a smile curved the other's mouth. "I
think we would have to eat and sleep sometime."

Fox returned the smile. "You know what I mean. No anxiety.
We've had enough of that. And no worrying about things we cannot
change." Before Alexei could respond, he went on. "I know that's
so much easier said than done, but can we try? Can we just love
each other and let the rest take care of itself?"

Alexei raised a hand to his lover's face and slid his thumb
across the exquisitely full lower lip. "I promise you, my sweet
Fox, I will try."

Fox kissed the thumb as it made another pass. "Thank you." He
looked over Alexei's head and in the direction of the house.
"Now, perhaps we should go and find Daniel? I'm sure he'd like
to know that you're all right. He was very concerned."

Alexei nodded his agreement. "All right." He thought for a
moment, then grinned up at Fox. "We should do something for him
to show our appreciation for all he's done for us. Do you think
Dana might be open to having dinner with us?"

Fox squinted. "Well, she's still a bit worried...but on the
other hand it might be a good opportunity for her to see that
everything is fine. I suppose we could ask her and see."

"In that case, would you be averse to a little detour before we
go back to the house?"

Fox leaned down for a brief but thorough kiss. "Not at all.
Let's go pay Dana a visit."

********************

Dinner went well. Better than they had hoped, actually. Dana
agreed to come to dinner, and though not immediately thrilled
with the idea, she soon warmed up to Daniel again, and the
evening ended on a definite high note.

That night, after Dana and Daniel had left, the two men lay in
bed, Alexei propped against the pillows with Fox lying back
against his chest. His arms encircled his lover gently, and he
pressed a number of soft kisses into his hair.

"Malik would like to speak further with you."

Alexei opened his eyes upon hearing the soft voice. "I thought
you may have been asleep."

The silky glide of Fox's hair against his skin as the other man
slowly shook his head gave him a delightful shiver. "He has not
tormented us enough?"

"I believe he's genuinely sorry, Jade. His eyes...they were so
very sad. All he truly wanted was to protect you..."

"I thought you wanted us to love each other and let the rest
take care of itself?"

"I was talking about things we could do nothing about. You
*can* repair your relationship with your father...if you want
to."

"He almost killed you."

"To protect *you*."

"There is no excuse. Killing you would have killed me. I do not
view that as protection."

"He was desperate, Alexei. He is your father, and he is king,
but he has a heart. And when you believe that someone you love
very much is in danger of any kind, the heart often overrules
the head."

Silence met his statement.

"Please? See him...for me?" Fox wiggled back against him,
smiling as he felt the organ between them begin to grow.

Alexei groaned. "You are playing dirty..."

"I know. But it's for a good cause. Will you see him again?"

"All right, all *right*. I will see him. For you. Now." Alexei
tightened his arms around the other man and pushed against him.
"What are you going to do for me?"

Fox laughed softly, sliding onto his back between his lover's
legs, then turned over, nuzzling the now full-blown erection.
"Oh, I don't know. What would you *like* for me to do?'

********************

The next afternoon, Daniel entered the house followed by Malik.
The masters of the house stood side by side, offering a
courteous but cool greeting.

Alexei bowed only slightly, and motioned his father to a
comfortable chair. "Please be seated."

Malik looked from one man to other. "Thank you." He took his
seat and again looked upon his son. "You look well. I trust you
are feeling better than you did yesterday?"

"Yes, I am." Alexei turned an adoring eye to Fox and brushed
his lover's cheek with his knuckles. "Now what else would you
like to speak to me about?"

"There are no more surprises, Alexei, I simply wanted to know
if you were accepting what I have told you."

"What choice have I? It is a shock, to say the least, to find
out that I am indeed half human, but it is not an unpleasant
one. I am only angry because for all these years you saw fit to
keep it a secret from the others and myself. You had no right."

"I know that. I am heartily sorry, my son."

"Have you told them?"

"Last night I gathered them together, and yes, I told them.
They are unhappy for the same reasons that you are, but they are
all still speaking to me."

"And why should they not? You have not tried to assassinate any
of their mates..."

"I know you will never forgive me for that."

"You are so right. I never will. There is nothing you will ever
be able to do to rectify that wrong."

Fox touched his arm. "Alexei..."

"I cannot help the way I feel, Fox. He almost took you away
from me forever."

"I have already told you, my son, that this is not an excuse,
but I was only trying to protect you from a broken heart..."

"By breaking it first yourself? It makes no sense!"

A thick silence fell on the room, then Fox spoke. "Your majesty?"

Alexei cut in. "Do not call him that. He deserves no respect
from you."

Malik heaved a great sigh. "My son is correct. Call me Malik."

Fox rubbed his temples for a moment. "All right. Malik....may I
ask you a question?"

"Yes, of course."

Fox looked to his lover first. "I thought of this yesterday,
and I just want to satisfy my curiosity." He turned back to
Malik. "The djinn live a very long life."

Malik nodded.

"But your children are half human. Would that not change their
life expectancy?"

Alexei's head snapped from his mate to his father, awaiting the
old man's answer.

"I...do not know for certain. I do not believe so."

"But Alexei is considerably younger than Daniel, yet he matured
at a rate which made him equal to Daniel, physically."

"Well...yes...I suppose all of the children had matured rather
quickly, but..."

"Then is it not possible that they are different from full-
blood djinn in that respect?"

"It...it may be so."

Alexei broke in to the conversation. "Do you know of any other
half-bloods?"

"No, I do not."

"You must know of *one*."

Fox noted the rise in Alexei's tone and laid a calming hand on
his shoulder. "Easy, love."

Alexei closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. "Is there
someone who *might* know?"

"There is only one I can think of. Selima is the oldest of our
kind. She lives alone at the very edge of our realm. She knows
all there is to know about us. If anyone can give you the
answers you seek, it is she."

Alexei spun to face Fox. "I must see her."

"Yes, but...Alexei, keep in mind she may not tell you what you
want to hear. This was just a curiosity. It may mean absolutely
nothing. After all, being half human has not diminished your
djinn power any."

"I know, but..." The desperation began to show in his voice.
"...there is at least a *chance* that I may not spend as many
years without you as we thought...."

"Alexei."

Both men turned their attention to Malik.

"Even if it is true and you will not live for hundreds of
years, you will still live far longer than Fox."

Alexei knew this. He knew it, but somehow the words coming from
Malik's lips angered him all over again. "No. I will not."

Fox closed his eyes and bowed his head. Suddenly, he was sorry
he'd ever brought this up. "Alexei," he called softly.
"Please..."

Alexei heard his lover's plea. He kissed the side of Fox's head
and murmured against it, "I need an answer. Even if it is not
the answer I want." He turned to Daniel. "Will you stay while I
go to see this Selima?"

Worried at what his friend's state of mind might be after his
meeting with the old woman, Daniel stepped forward. "I wish to
accompany you."

"No. I will be fine. Please stay with Fox until my return."

"No, Alexei," Fox spoke up. "Let Daniel go with you. Please, my
love. I would feel much better if he did."

Malik watched with mild surprise as his son gave in so easily
to Fox.

"All right. Might I at least bring Dana to you? She can keep
you company until we return."

"I will stay if it is company you wish for him," Malik offered.

"No. I do not want you near him while I am not here."

"My son, I would not harm him in any way; you have my *word*."

"Your word means little." Alexei lifted Fox's hand to his lips
and bestowed a soft kiss upon it. "I shall fetch Dana to you, my
lord. We shall be back in an instant." He turned a cold eye to
Malik. "Please take your leave."

Utterly dejected, Malik nodded and was gone, leaving only the
three men. Alexei stepped away from Fox and also disappeared,
returning five minutes later with Dana. She and Daniel exchanged
greetings, and then the two men set out in search of the old
woman named Selima.

"Explain this to me again if you would be so kind, Fox," Dana
demanded once the other two were gone. "Alexei really didn't
want to waste time on it, and he said you would tell me."

Fox summoned a servant and asked that some refreshments be
brought in for him and his friend, and then he sat Dana down
and, step by step, explained the events of past days.

********************

Alexei and Daniel approached the small house that Malik had
described, and Daniel knocked at the door. Long seconds later,
the door swung open, and sharp brown eyes set in an ancient face
peered out at them.

"Bless me, Allah. It is the crown prince himself come to visit
me in my humble house." The old woman began to bow, but Alexei
stopped her.

"No. Please. There is no need for that."

The tiny woman blinked up at him. "What is it my prince wishes
of me?''

"To come in for a moment if you do not mind. There is a
question you might be able to answer for me."

"Of course, sire. T'would be my honor to be of assistance to
you." She stepped aside, allowing the two men to enter and
beckoned them to sit. "Now, sire. What is this question you wish
to ask of me?"

"Madame...my father the king says that you are the oldest and
wisest of all genies. You know our entire history. You know of
everything that makes us what we are."

"T'is true, I have been alive for many more years than any. I
have seen much, and I keep our history."

"Selima...have you ever known of any of our kind who were only
half-bloods? Those who may have been half human?"

"I see the king has finally decided to tell his son what he
should have known many years ago."

Alexei hesitated, momentarily surprised by the old woman's
perception. "Yes. And now I need to know if there have been any
others."

"Yes, sire. There certainly have been."

Alexei closed his eyes, willing his heart to beat normally.
"Then this is my question to you. Were these half-bloods
different? Were their powers diminished at all? Did they live
shorter lives as a result of the mixing of human blood with
djinn?"

The old woman cackled softly. "The djinn blood is very strong.
There is never a decrease in power. And the only change occurs
when the children are young. There is a period of rapid
development, then it stops and reverts back to that which is
normal for us. You will live a normal existence, my prince. Does
that ease your mind?"

Alexei covered his face with his hands and sat quietly for a
moment. He then lifted his head and breathed a long sigh.
"Thank...thank you for your time, Selima. I will not trouble you
any longer."

Before he could rise to leave, the old woman began to speak
again. "The king adored his wife," she rambled. "Amazingly, you
resemble her quite a bit. That you do not look like the rest of
your sisters and brothers is indeed a mystery." She shrugged,
smiling indulgently. "Some mystery is a good thing. It shattered
his heart when she passed." She shook her head sadly. "Such a
tragedy. He kept her illness a secret, you know. Not a soul in
the kingdom knew until she was gone..."

Sable eyebrows drew down into a frown, and Alexei cocked his
head. "No one?"

"No one."

"But why?"

"Only your father can answer that. It is so terrible. Had I
known. Had I only known..."

Alexei and Daniel exchanged curious glances, then Alexei asked,
"Had you only known what?"

"I never told your father, because after your mother was gone,
there was no point in increasing his torment..."

"Never told him what?"

"She could have been saved."

Alexei's heart felt as though it would leap out of his chest.
"*How*?"

"He never told anyone. He never said a word. Had I known...had
I known that she was human, he could have had her with him
still."

Alexei rose from his seat, no longer able to sit still.
"Selima...please...*how*?"

"You recall what I just told you about djinn blood and the fact
that it is strong enough to counteract human blood so that half-
breeds such as yourself still live normally."

"*Yes*."

"If djinn blood is mingled with human blood...that is if the
djinn blood, even a very small amount, is introduced into the
human body, it fortifies the blood of its host, effectively
making the human resistant to all that we are resistant to. It
strengthens the human and prolongs their life as it does ours.
It does not bestow on them any of our magical abilities, but..."

Alexei paced frantically, raking his hands through his hair.
"Are you sure? Are you absolutely *sure* about this?"

"Of course, my prince," Selima smiled indulgently. "I am only
sorry that the king did not let *someone* know. You...you will
not tell him? T'would only add to the torment he still
suffers..."

Alexei's only answer was to twirl the twig of a woman off her
feet and plant a noisy kiss on her withered face. "Thank you,
Selima. You have no idea what you have just done for me."

The old woman cackled, holding her hand to her cheek.
"Goodness, sire. You are right. I do not know what it is I have
done, but if it makes you this happy, that is all the thank you
I want. I saw a very sad young man enter my house, and now
someone new stands in his place."

"And I have you to thank." Alexei kissed the woman again,
drawing another giggle from her. "I will see you again, Madame.
Thank you!"

The two men fled the house, and Alexei grabbed Daniel, hugging
him fiercely. "Daniel! My friend, do you know what this means?"

Daniel laughed maniacally. "Yes! All you have to do is
introduce some of your own blood to his system..."

Alexei burst into laughter. "Though I would certainly welcome
another opportunity, it is not actually necessary."

"What?"

Alexei displayed a knowing grin. "It is already done. Come. I
must get home immediately."

********************

Fox paced slowly, his every movement tracked by a pair of
bright blue eyes.

"Fox, you're going to wear a hole in the floor if you do not
stop that!"

"Hmm? Oh. I'm sorry. I just think they're taking rather long.
Don't you think so?"

"No, I do not."

Fox sighed. "It's true, Dana, what Malik said. Even if the
human blood *does* affect Alexei's life span, it won't be enough
to make any real difference to him. He's got to be able to cope
with it, or I'm afraid that it will eventually destroy us."

"He'll be all right, Fox. He won't allow that to happen. He's
not going to do anything that will take you from him any sooner
than you have to go."

"He wouldn't mean to, but I'm afraid he won't be able to help
himself. We found our way back together, I'm afraid only to be
ripped apart again. Maybe next time for good."

"Fox," Dana scolded. "Stop thinking that way. Everything will
work out for the best. Alexei adores you, and he *will not*
allow anything to come between you again."

Hazel eyes flicked up to meet blue. "I see you are firmly
planted on his side again."

Dana smiled. "Yes, I suppose I am. I am not blind, Fox. It is
very clear that he loves you and what happened before was not
his doing."

"I'm glad you believe it."

"I do. I am also glad to see Daniel again."

A smile twitched at Fox's lips. "Are you now?"

"Yeees, I am."

"Good. I know he's glad to see *you*."

Suddenly sensing that they were not alone, Fox turned to find
Alexei and Daniel standing behind him. He searched the solemn
eyes of his lover, and before he could put a question to him,
Alexei turned to Dana.

"Dana, would you mind going for a walk with Daniel? Fox and I
must talk."

Dana cast a wary eye from one man to the other. "N-no. Of
course not." She gave Fox's arm an encouraging squeeze, then
preceded Daniel out of the room.

When their friends were gone, both men stood a few feet from
each other, staring. Fox was first to speak.

"Well...did you get your answers?"

"Yes," Alexei whispered. "And then some."

The golden-brown head cocked to one side. "I don't understand."

Alexei slowly approached. "I had a very interesting visit with
Selima. It was quite illuminating."

"How is that?"

"She told me something that no one else knows. Not even Malik."

"Will you share it with me?"

He barely heard Alexei's 'yes'.

Alexei began to undo his robes, letting the garments fall to
the floor. He stepped closer to his very confused lover, then
turned his back to him. His hand came up, lightly fingering the
scars on his shoulder. "Do you remember when I called this a
gift from you?"

"Yes."

"Well, what neither of us knew was it was a gift *to* you as
well."

Fox placed a hand on Alexei's shoulder and turned him back so
that they were again facing each other. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Alexei's eyes began to shine, and a smile graced
his beautiful lips. "...that on the night you tasted my blood,
it did so much more than simply free the animal inside you. It
sealed our fate. Yours and mine."

Fox shook his head. "Alexei...I don't..."

"I knew life could not be that cruel. I knew we were meant to
be together for all of our lives...our equal lives."

"Wh...what?"

"You will live a long, healthy life, my Fox. As long as mine."

"But...how?"

"My blood strengthens yours. It makes it like mine. Your aging
process has slowed. You are now resistant to illness." A wide
grin spread across his face. "In short, my love, I do hope that
you will be able to stand me for the next few hundred years."

Fox blinked as the room began to spin. "Alexei...are you sure
about this?"

"My question exactly to the old woman. She was emphatic in her
response. You will live as long as I will."

Fox stared, dumbfounded.

"Now," Alexei continued, "I reiterate my question. Will you be
able to stand me for the next few hundred years?"

Fox nodded, suddenly blinded by tears. "Absolutely."

Alexei threw his arms around his mate, wrapping him in a fierce
embrace. "It is as you said, love. We are part of each other
forever."

They stood clinging to each other, letting the tears flow
silently. When a long while had passed, they separated,
attempting to dry each other's eyes. They laughed together as
the drops refused to cease and finally gave up.

"Is Daniel telling Dana?"

"No," Alexei sniffed. "I wanted us to be able to tell her
together. Do you think she will be happy?"

Fox lowered his head and smiled. "I think she will."

"Then let us tell her so that we may celebrate."

Alexei retrieved Dana and Daniel from their walk, and he and
Fox shared their news. After her shock, Dana threw her arms
around both men, tearfully wishing them every happiness, and
then they celebrated.

A fine feast was laid out, the wine flowed, and Alexei brought
in entertainment for the occasion. Music filled the room, and
colorfully garbed dancers whirled about them for hours,
eventually making the more than slightly inebriated revelers a
touch dizzy. At Dana's request, they were sent away. Then
deciding she needed some air, she tottered off onto the terrace,
tripping over a potted palm and landing square into Alexei's
arms. Fox went out to help, and the three wobbled back into the
house, the men supporting Dana between them and letting her drop
against Daniel, who promptly lost his balance, and the two
tumbled to the mass of pillows on the floor.

Daniel groaned as Dana sprawled across his chest, giggling
hysterically. This was the first intimate contact they'd ever
truly had, and even though it was quite accidental, it was no
less arousing. Still left with enough good sense to know that he
could not take advantage of this situation, he looked up to the
other two men for help.

"Please," he squeaked, "get her off me, or I will surely die."

Laughing continuously, Fox bent to assist, rolling Dana onto
her back and away from Daniel.

"Thank you," Daniel panted as Dana reached over, tickling the
inside of his ear with one finger. He flinched and shuddered,
trying to elude her, but for a drunk woman, she was astoundingly
accurate, and she continued to tease him.

"Come on, Danny," she cooed. "Hold still. I'm trying to seduce
you..."

Alexei broke into fits of laughter, and Fox immediately took
advantage of his enhanced discomposure. He grasped the other man
by the front of his robes and swept one leg under his, knocking
him off balance and sending them falling together onto the
pillows. Immediately, Fox was on him, draping a leg over his
thighs and writhing against him as he began to slowly lick a wet
trail up the stubbled face.

Alexei half-giggled, half-moaned. "Fox...What are
you...what...what are you doing?"

"If you must ask, I can't be doing it right."

"Oh no, my lovely...loooovely sweet, lovely....what was I
saying?"

Fox's tongue slithered into his ear, and any rational thought
that he may have still possessed fled.

"I believe," Fox snickered into his ear, "that you were going
to say that we have guests."

"Right," Alexei breathed, "Yes. Yessss. Guests. We must...we
*must* beheave...behave ourselves..."

Fox's hand wandered over Alexei's chest, teasing his hardening
nipples through the gauzy material. "But my love...how can I?
When you are laid out so...temptingly before me?" The leg over
Alexei's thighs inched higher, and now Fox's knee was pushing
against the very visible bulge. "You know I can't resist you."

Alexei arched, making his throat vulnerable to attack, and
attack Fox did. A low growl sounded, then a soft female gasp as
his teeth clamped down at the base of his lover's neck.

Dana had long since stopped teasing Daniel and watched
entranced as her best friend seduced his lover right in front of
her. Alexei's pained groan startled her, yet she knew with
certainty that he did not want to be rescued. She watched him
curl his fingers in Fox's hair and arch further into his mouth,
and she was fascinated. She saw the muscles in Fox's face and
neck working as he sucked voraciously at the fragile skin, and
she marveled at the cruel red marks he left when he had finally
finished.

Completely overcome, Alexei fell into Fox's trap, pushing him
onto his back and ripping at his clothing. Fox squirmed beneath
him, now completely submissive and begging for attention.

Dana's mouth hung open as she viewed her friend half-naked and
shamelessly writhing against his lover. She looked to Daniel,
who could not decide whether to be more aroused or embarrassed.
Blue eyes met blue eyes and suddenly the room had become far too
crowded. Daniel shook his head and looked away.

"I believe," Dana began, hesitated, then began again, "I
believe that I am not as drunk now as I was a while ago." Daniel
looked at her, and she nodded at the two writhing together not
more than five feet from them. "Our friends have seen to that."

"What...what are you saying?" Daniel's eyes squeezed shut at
the sound of tearing material followed by a sharp yelp.

Dana's eyes traveled from the sight of Alexei pulling at Fox's
nipple with his teeth, back to the shaken man beside her. "As
entertaining as they are, let's leave them alone and seek our
own...entertainment."

After picking his jaw up off the floor, Daniel cleared the
gravel from his throat and asked, "Are you sure?"

Dana inched closer and let a hand trail up his leg. "Yes, I do
believe I am."

Neither man noticed that their friends had left. Alexei tugged
at the remaining scraps of Fox's clothing, leaving the other man
naked and wiggling beneath his searing gaze. His hands and his
mouth increased the heat, stroking and sucking every inch of
flesh they could reach, and when he ran out of fresh territory,
he slid lower, teasing the flesh around Fox's throbbing
erection, nipping at the insides of his thighs and licking the
heavy sac that hung beneath.

Fox gritted his teeth, whimpering his need. His back arched,
and he groaned as he felt his lover's tongue flicking its way up
his long shaft, then circling the head. Ignoring the pearly
fluid at the tip, Alexei pulled away and lifted himself so that
they were again face to face. His mouth covered Fox's as he
attempted to devour his lover whole, sucking hungrily at his lip
and tongue. When he finally released Fox's swollen mouth, he
mumbled against it.

"I want to be deep within your mouth, my love. And I want you
deep inside mine. I want you to drink from me as I drink from
you."

Fox shuddered at his words.

"May we?"

Fox nodded. "Yes...yes...Alexei...sh...show me..."

The other man licked at the dip just below Fox's lower lip.
"Are you comfortable?"

"Yes..."

"Then remain where you are and turn onto your side."

Alexei shifted, removing the scant bit of clothing that still
clung to him, and settled himself beside his lover. He twitched
as he felt Fox's warmth breath flow over the moist tip of his
erection, and he nuzzled the shaft that bobbed before him. The
soft groan coming from the vicinity of his groin prompted him to
open his mouth and let the head slide in. He closed his lips
around the flared tip and sucked away the bitter fluid.

Fox cried out and acted in kind, sucking Alexei into his mouth
and wincing at the groan that vibrated against his own organ.
His hips began to move, thrusting of their own accord, deeper
and deeper until he was immersed to the root in his lover's hot
mouth. The pleasure of being steadily sucked and the excitement
of having his lover gently begin to pump in and out of his own
mouth drove Fox to complete insanity. He gripped Alexei's
buttocks and rolled, forcing the other man to lie on top of him.
Now in a more helpless position, he encouraged his lover to
thrust deeper.

Alexei resisted Fox's wordless request at first, afraid to hurt
him, but Fox's excitement had built to a fever pitch, and he
would not be put off. He twisted, he writhed, he moaned around
the shaft that filled his mouth, at the same time pushing one
finger past the ring of muscle hidden between the taut cheeks of
Alexei's rear. Alexei sobbed his name, hips bearing down to push
himself as deeply down Fox's throat as he could go. Quickly, Fox
relaxed as much as he could, and took all that his lover had to
give him. As he adjusted to the intrusion, he pushed up against
Alexei's hips, then pulled him back down until the other man
began to move on his own, driving in and out of his mouth.

Fox whimpered wildly, sucking his lover for all he was worth
and repeatedly pushed his own hips up, loving the warm friction
of Alexei's mouth sealed around him. His muscles began to
convulse in that familiar rhythm that heralded the onset of
orgasm, and Alexei pushed faster into his mouth, sobbing
incoherently. Suddenly the explosion hit, and he jerked upward
once, emptying himself down his lover's throat even as he gulped
and swallowed the fluid that was being poured into him.

When it was over, Alexei rolled away and sprawled weakly over
the pillows, panting heavily. Fox turned himself around and
crawled into his lover's arms, resting his head on the heaving
chest. Alexei's fingers wandered over his upper back, then
threaded through the golden-brown hair and rested there. A heavy
lethargy washed over both men, and before either could speak,
they were asleep, their soft snores the only audible sound in
the great room.

********************

Bloodshot hazel eyes blinked slowly open, then closed again as
the blinding light of day hit. Fox moaned softly and made
another attempt. Even more slowly this time, he opened his eyes,
and movement caught his attention. He squinted and shifted his
gaze, watching the staff move quietly and efficiently about,
cleaning up the remnants of last night's celebration. The fact
that he and his still unconscious lover were lying naked and
tangled together amidst the rubble apparently did not faze the
servants in the least.

A faint stirring beneath his cheek drew his attention up to his
lover's face. He smiled then winced at the pain the action
brought.

The soft groan opened Alexei's eyes, and he looked down at the
man in his arms. "Good morning, my treasure," he rasped. "You
look terrible."

"Well, thank you," Fox muttered. "You don't look exactly
wonderful either."

Alexei laughed softly and kissed the top of his lover's head.
"Why is it so bright?"

"I don't know, but I do wish it would go away."

Before Fox could say another word, they were in the comfort of
their own bed, and the curtains over the large windows were
drawn, filtering out a good portion of the daylight.

Fox sighed deeply, snuggling against Alexei's chest. "Much
better, but oh, my head aches so."

"Mmm," Alexei rumbled softly. "I should have told you. We are
not immune to getting drunk."

"Now he tells me." Fox went quiet for a moment, then continued
on. "I have never been drunk before. If this is what one feels
like the morning after, I don't believe I should like to do it
again."

Soft chuckle. "Do you remember any of last night?"

"Bits and pieces." Fox's arm suddenly tightened around his
lover's bicep. "Alexei?"

"Yes?"

"Where did Dana and Daniel go?"

"I...I do not know. I am trying to remember the last time I saw
them..."

"The last I recall of them was pulling Dana off of Daniel,
and..." Fox groaned.

"What is it, love?"

"Then I remember throwing you to the floor and..." He groaned
again. "How much of that do you think they witnessed?"

"I could not say. How much of it do you remember?"

"Fragmented bits, but enough to know that if they had lingered,
they got quite a show."

Alexei skimmed Fox's back with one hand. "Perhaps we gave them
ideas."

"No. Oh...no....not Dana." Fox paused, then looked up as far as
his now-throbbing head would allow. "Do you think so?"

"My love, your friend Dana is no fragile flower. If they *did*
spend the night together, I will wager that she initiated it."

"She *is* like no other woman I know," Fox mused.

"I am sure we will see them soon. Now. How would my lord like
to spend the first day of the rest of our very lengthy lives
together?"

Fox thought for a moment, debating whether or not he should
bring up the subject, then decided that he would.

"There are still some matters that must be settled."

"Such as?"

"This morning, things are very different for us than they were
yesterday. You must speak again with your father..."

"Why?"

"Because he is the one who directed you to Selima. If he had
not done so, you would have gone on in a perpetual state of
depression and sooner or later, it would have ruined us."

Alexei closed his eyes and grunted.

"And," Fox continued, "he will be back to find out what you
discovered. If you turn him away, he will simply go directly to
the source. In one way or another, he *will* find out what you
know, and he will begin to grieve all over again. Wouldn't you
rather tell him yourself and be there for him? He will need you."

"I will tell him, fine. But he has many other children to
comfort him."

Fox slid up to face his lover, wincing with the effort.
"Jade...it's you that he needs. Though they are all her
children, you are the closest link he has to your mother. I know
how angry you are with him, but can't you please put that aside
and see for a moment how much he loves you and how hurt he is?"

Alexei searched his lover's eyes for a short while, then pulled
him down for a soft kiss. "You have the gentlest heart I have
ever known." He brushed a finger down the bridge of Fox's nose.
"My precious jewel. I love you so."

Fox said nothing. He merely gazed down into Alexei's eyes, a
tiny hint of a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. The
other man released a soft rush of breath.

"All right. For you, I will do my best to be kind, but I make
no promises."

"It is not for me you should do this, Alexei. It is for your
father. And it is for yourself."

Alexei watched Fox as he spoke. His ragged state showed in the
half-mast, glassy depths of his eyes and his sluggish, slightly
garbled speech. Gently, he pushed his lover down to the pillows
and caressed his forehead.

"Rest a while longer, my love. When next you awake, you will
feel much better."

The thought of more sleep sounded like heaven to Fox, but he
would not sleep until a few things were settled.

"What about you?"

"I do not believe I feel nearly as bad as you do." He smiled
down at Fox. "I am able to function."

"Dana and Daniel..."

"I will find out where they went and make sure that she is all
right. Anything else?"

"Your father."

"I will see him later when you are feeling better."

"No. Don't wait for me, Alexei. I think you should see him
alone. This is a very private matter."

"Nothing is too private that I cannot share it with you."

"I know that. But I mean private to Malik. I just think that
this should be between the two of you."

Alexei thought a moment, then agreed. "Very well."

"But please...*please* behave."

"I will."

"Promise?"

"Yes, love. I promise. Now close your eyes and go back to
sleep. No one will disturb you."

Alexei lay beside Fox and watched his eyelids drift downward.
When his respiration became deep and even, Alexei planted a
light kiss on his cheek and dragged himself out of bed.

********************

The old man rose from his chair as Alexei was announced, and
the younger man strode in. Executing a shallow bow, he got right
down to business.

"I am here because Fox thought I should give you the courtesy
of hearing what I had learned, since it was you who suggested I
see Selima."

"Fox is a very kind, thoughtful man."

Green ice stared into weary gray eyes. "Yes. And to think you
almost wiped that kindness from the earth."

Malik closed his eyes and said nothing.

"But that is not why I am here. I am here to tell you that
Selima gave me some very interesting information. Information
that has altered our lives, mine and Fox's."

Malik waited in silence.

"We will live out our lives *together*. He will not leave me
alone and in misery for decades on end."

Malik shook his head in confusion. "I do not know if I
understand what you are saying, Alexei."

"I am saying that Fox will live as many years as I do."

"How...how is this possible?"

"All he needed to do was ingest some of my blood." Alexei could
see understanding dawn on his father's face...and then despair.
He continued in a softer, gentler tone. "The djinn blood
transforms human blood..."

Malik began to tremble, and for an instant, it looked as though
he might collapse. Alexei was at his side instantly, helping him
into his chair.

"Katarina," the old man whispered, grief stricken. "My
Katarina." Eyes glazed with tears looked up at the younger man.
"You children could have had your mother if only I had known..."

"Yes, Father."

"I told no one. No one knew that she was human. I never thought
it to be anyone's business, and when she began to fail, I kept
her away from the public eye. Not because I was ashamed, I was
never ashamed of your mother, I swear to you. I only wanted to
protect her from gossip. She never left the palace, but perhaps
if someone had known...if Selima had known, she would have been
able to tell me what to do and..." Malik broke down, sobbing.
"..and she would be with us still."

Alexei stood over his father, shocked by the man's tears. In
all his years he had never seen him cry. In fact, he thought
Malik was incapable of such extreme emotion until this moment
and the revelation shook him. He kneeled before the weeping man
and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Father..."

Malik continued to cry, unaware that his son had called his name.

Slowly, Alexei's arm circled the man's shoulders, and he placed
his other hand at the back of the silver head. Without much
coaxing, Malik leaned forward into Alexei's arms, allowing his
son to comfort him. When his sobbing finally ceased, he leaned
back and cast a red-rimmed stare at the younger man.

"I loved her with all of my heart and soul. Just as you love
Fox. I know the joy you must feel knowing that he will be by
your side for the whole of your life. I wish you every
happiness, and if that means that I must lose you as a son and
heir, then that is how it must be." He straightened his back and
dried the dampness on his face. "Thank you for being generous
enough to stay and offer me comfort."

Alexei's gaze lowered, and he covered the old man's hand with
his own. "Perhaps..." he looked up into his father's face.
"..perhaps we can try again."

Shock and hope filled the king's eyes. "I would be so very
grateful for another chance to be your father. And though he has
no reason to, if Fox will allow it, I will treat him as though
he were one of my own."

Alexei nodded, treating the old man to a tiny smile. "Father,
Fox is the easy one..."

********************

Fox stood at the window, inhaling the sweet, mid-afternoon air.
As Alexei had suggested, the extra sleep did him a world of
good. The headache was practically gone, and he could actually
keep his eyes open for more than five minutes without the room
whirling around him. Now he waited, anxious for his lover's
return.

It had been hours since Alexei left, and Fox was eaten up with
curiosity, wondering what could possibly be taking him so long.
He thought of calling to him but changed his mind. Alexei would
come home when he was through with his business, and besides,
Fox did not want him thinking that anything might be wrong.

He drifted from the window, sank into a comfortable chair, and
closed his eyes. Not long after, a pair of lips softly brushed
his own. He smiled and without opening his eyes, reached for his
lover, bringing him in for a deeper kiss. After a thorough
probing of the interior of Alexei's mouth, Fox released him, and
the other man growled against his lips.

"Feeling better, I see."

"Yes, I am." Fox opened his eyes. "Much better. Did you find
Dana or Daniel?"

A wide grin spread across Alexei's face. "Yes, I did. I found
them both...together and in not much better condition than
either of us this morning." He began to laugh. They were quite
embarrassed, but neither was the least bit repentant."

Fox covered his face with one hand and laughed. "Oh, no. Well,
as long as they're happy."

Dark eyebrows arched and Alexei nodded. "Oh, I would say that
they are happy."

"Good. Now what about your father?"

Alexei grasped Fox's hands, pulling him out of the chair, then
sat in his place and hauled his lover down onto his lap. Fox
curled himself around Alexei, head nestled against his shoulder
and waited to hear what he had to say.

"Remind me to always listen to everything you say."

"I'll do that. What happened?"

"It was as you said." Alexei stroked his mate's back quietly
for a moment, then went on. "I have never seen my father cry
before. The sorrow...he was so heartbroken. I could not walk
away from him. I had to stay and comfort him."

Fox smiled and kissed the side of Alexei's neck. "Of course you
did."

"Afterward, he wished us the best and backed away."

"Backed away?"

"Yes. He released me from my obligations as his son and future
king."

"Oh?"

"Yes. But I could not erase him from my life. And...I told him
that I wanted to discuss it with you, but I would consider
claiming my birthright."

Fox lifted his head and stared down at him. "Why would you
discuss it with me before giving him your decision?"

"Because it is *our* life, Fox. And when Malik steps down at
the end of this year, our lives would change dramatically. I
just need to know that you are very sure about this before I
accept. Please..take some time and think about it. As long as
you let me know sometime before the coronation..."

Fox laughed and turned Alexei's face up to his. He kissed the
other squarely on the mouth, then on the tip of his nose. "How
many times have I told you to take what is yours? The only thing
I ask is that I am still able to teach my children. That's very
important to me."

"Of course, my lord. Anything you wish...are you sure you need
no more time to consider this?"

Fox shook his head. "Tell your father that at the end of this
year, you will assume the throne."

"Very well." Alexei gently massaged Fox's back. "I shall tell
him tomorrow. And now, there is one more thing."

"Yes?"

An odd expression crossed Alexei's face, and he fumbled for the
words he wished to speak.

"There...there is a...a ceremony performed amongst our
people...for same-sex couples who wish to pledge their lives to
each other. It is not exactly a...a marriage ceremony, but
rather simply a joining of hearts before friends and family. A
declaration of the couple's love and commitment."

Fox's eyes sparkled. "But isn't that what a marriage ceremony
is?"

Alexei's mouth opened and closed. He thought a minute, then
answered softly. "I suppose it is, yes."

Fox nodded. "So what are you saying to me?"

"I just...I thought that possibly..."

"Yes?"

"Would...would you go through the ceremony with me?"

Fox began to laugh. "Are you asking me to marry you?"

Alexei frowned, confused and a bit hurt at his lover's
reaction. "N-no," he stammered, "I only thought that since we
were already committed to each other, that..."

"So you do *not* want to marry me?"

"Yes, of *course* I do..."

"So you *are* asking me to marry you."

"Fox, you are making this very difficult!"

Fox burst into laughter. "I'm sorry, love. I couldn't resist.
You were so adorable as you were trying to explain it. Of course
I'll go through the ceremony with you, what*ever* you call it."

Alexei grinned up at him, relieved. "You are going to pay for
tormenting me that way."

Fox leaned down, nuzzling Alexei's cheek. "You promise?"

"Oh, yes," Alexei moaned as his hand slipped down to cup his
lover's linen-covered bottom. "I promise." He squeezed the firm
mound of flesh, pulling a soft groan from the other man, then
abruptly pushed Fox off of his lap. "Remove your clothing."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

A lazy smirk curved Fox's mouth. "Yes, your majesty."

The soft chuckle that rose from the chair ended on a soft
whimper as Fox's clothing fell away, revealing a grand erection
standing proudly from the thatch of dark curls at his groin.

"Well," Alexei whispered. "Is that for me?"

"No," Fox purred, giving Alexei an evil little smile. "Tariq,
the gardener, and I were having a little fun a while before you
got home."

The corner of Alexei's mouth twitched. "And you are still so
aroused?"

"He was very good."

"You are in a terribly wicked mood this afternoon."

Hazel eyes sparkled mischievously, and the other said nothing.

Alexei rose from his seat and approached his lover, removing
his own clothing. "Let us see if we cannot put it to good use."
The last of his clothing fell to the floor beside Fox's, but the
sash from his robes remained in his hand. "Come here."

Fox obeyed, his body beginning to tremble as his mind
speculated on what new pleasure he was now to be subjected to.

Alexei raised the sash to Fox's face, covering his eyes and
tying the material into a firm knot at the back of his head. He
moved away for a moment, located another sash from his wardrobe,
and pulled Fox's hands behind his back, securing them there with
the length of red silk.

The throbbing between Fox's legs increased as his lover
partially restrained and deprived him of one of his senses. He
felt Alexei's hand grip his upper arm and gently pull him
forward. He heard the soft swish of material being depressed and
felt the faint whisper of fingertips over the hard shaft that
unerringly strained in his lover's direction, and he pulled  in
a sharp breath..

"What is it, my love?" The silken voice slithered around his
senses. "Would you like for me to call Tariq inside to finish
what he started?"

Fox released a shaky laugh. "You know that no one but you has
ever touched me."

Alexei's fingers skimmed the standing man's thighs, sending a
shiver through him. "Yes, I know that. Not that Tariq would not
love to have you. I have seen him sneak glances at you when he
thought I was not looking."

"And you have not been tempted to turn him to dust?"

"No. The man has exquisite taste. I cannot fault him for that.
Who would *not* want you?" Alexei leaned forward and licked the
viscous pearl of fluid from the flushed tip of the organ that
pointed in his direction. "But you are mine and no one would
dare challenge that."

Fox flinched and choked back a moan as his mate sucked his
complete length into the wet heat of his mouth. Alexei sucked at
him greedily, bringing him along quickly, then abruptly pulled
away. Ignoring the whimpers of protest, he instructed Fox to
kneel, then placed a hand at the back of his head, pulling it
down to his lap.

Fox rubbed his face against Alexei's thighs as his hips
involuntarily jerked forward. Higher and higher he moved until
Alexei's hand came down to cover himself.

"Slowly."

Fox lifted his head, and Alexei caressed the underside of his
chin, then rubbed his fingers across his mouth.

"I think I am in the mood for a good long tease."

As he spoke, Fox's lips parted, allowing his tongue to slip
past. Tentatively, it stroked over the tips of Alexei's fingers,
teasing the sensitive pads until the other man pulled them away.
He coaxed Fox into a sitting position between his spread legs
and grasping his own erection at the base, brushed it against
his lover's lips.

Fox shuddered and opened his mouth, blindly searching for the
elusive velvet-sheathed muscle.

"Would you like to taste me?" Alexei purred, only giving Fox
teasing touches. He smiled at the whimpered yes and grasped Fox
by the hair and pulled him forward as he slid into the desperate
mouth. He emitted a shaky breath and pulled Fox away as he
started to suck with a bit too much enthusiasm. "*Slowly*, my
love. Are you so impatient?" Receiving no answer, he again
pushed his lover's head down to his groin.

Fox forced himself to move slowly, first finding and thoroughly
bathing the thinly sheathed sac that hung beneath his mate's
pulsing erection. Every stroke of his tongue brought a muffled
groan from the man above him and set off an answering throb in
his own groin. Carefully, he made his way up along the long
shaft, covering every inch of skin with delicate licks and
kisses, and by the time he reached the head, he felt Alexei
begin to squirm. He swirled his tongue around the prominent
ridge, occasionally lashing at the head and feeling Alexei's
harsh response. He strained against his bonds, wishing that he
could touch his lover with his hands as well, but Alexei had
secured the sash well, and there was no escape.

As lightly as Fox was touching him, Alexei could feel the
tightening in the pit of his stomach. The sensation of that
wonderful tongue combined with the sight of his lover bound and
blindfolded at his feet was more than enough to take him over
the edge. He threaded a hand through Fox's hair and gently
pulled him away.

"Nooo. Please. I did as you asked..."

"Yes, my angel, you have. But I want you so much, it is still
too much stimulation." He pressed Fox's head to his lap and
petted the golden brown strands beneath his fingers. "Just allow
me to rest for a moment."

Fox sat quietly, inhaling the intoxicating scent of his lover,
listening to the labored breaths...desperate to let his tongue
touch the flesh beneath his cheek. Fortunately, before he lost
his internal battle, Alexei rose from his chair, helping Fox up.

"I cannot." He spun Fox around so that they were front to back,
and he dropped back into the chair. "Sit down."

With Alexei's hands at his hips for balance, Fox lowered
himself until he was sitting on his lover's lap. Alexei pushed
him up just far enough to position his erection properly, then
let him sink back down, slowly swallowing every last inch of the
thick shaft. Small whimpers pushed past his lips as he felt
himself being filled, and when their joining was complete,
Alexei's hands wandered over his chest, stroking and lightly
pinching his nipples.

"I cannot wait, Fox," Alexei panted over his lover's gasps. He
bucked and fell back to the cushion, spurring Fox to action.
Quickly the other man established a countermovement, their
bodies slapping together then separating again and again.
"Yesss..." Alexei hissed, gripping Fox's hip with one hand while
the other clamped over his shoulder. On his every upstroke, he
forced Fox down, making the other cry out with the shock of each
hard thrust.

Fox's head throbbed and his teeth clenched as Alexei slammed
into him. He again fought against his restraints, but Alexei's
hand left his hip to wrap around one of his wrists, putting a
stop to the struggle.

"Please...Jade...I need..."

"No," Alexei rasped. "Not...not yet."

Fox emitted a frustrated sob as he was again roughly propelled
downward. The assorted grunts and whimpers coming from beneath
him became as frantic as their pace, and soon a harsh groan rose
into the air as Alexei's body spasmed and a fast gush of fluid
warmed Fox's insides.

Alexei stilled, the only movement coming from him now the
labored rise and fall of his chest. He drifted in blissful semi-
consciousness until a faint stirring roused him from his state.
Fox, wriggling on his lap and whining softly, encouraged him to
move. He directed Fox to stand, both men moaning as he slipped
out of the tight warmth that surrounded him. As he moved his
lover to the bed, he began unknotting the sash, but instead of
removing it altogether, he merely laid Fox on his back and
repositioned his hands above his head and tied them to one of
the bedposts.

Fox pulled on the material that restricted his hands and looked
over at his mate, who had since lain down beside him and propped
his head up in his palm. Sedate green eyes watched him
thoughtfully as his agitation grew.

"Are you just going to leave me here like this?"

Alexei smiled at the annoyed growl, then shrugged. "Perhaps."
He ran a finger down one outstretched arm, to the decidedly
ticklish curve underneath, then cut across to Fox's chest. "You
are so very beautiful when frustrated." He flicked at a nipple
and watched, pleased, as Fox arched and moaned. "So, so very
beautiful," he whispered as he took the hardened nub between his
thumb and forefinger and pulled gently.

Fox twisted and emitted a loud gasp. "Please," he begged,
"*please*. I can't...I can't take...any more..."

Alexei's hand moved away, swept through the air, and came back
with an enormous ostrich plume. Fox's eyes narrowed on the
feather, then cut to his lover's smiling face.

"What are you going to do with...." He arched high off the bed
and shrieked as Alexei let the plume dance across his sensitized
skin.

"Is this not soothing, my lord?" Alexei asked innocently. "I
thought it would be."

"Oh, you thought it would be," Fox snarled. "Let me arouse you
to the point of insanity, tie you to the bed, then tease you
with that thing, and you can tell *me* if it is soothing."

"Ohhh," Alexei cooed. "It is because you are so tense. Relax,
love." His hand made short, uneven movements, causing the
feather to twitch over Fox's skin as it traveled down his chest
and belly. He stopped just short of the place he knew would
drive the other man completely insane, then swept back up over
the path he had just taken.

Fox's nose wrinkled as the feather whispered over his face,
then down again. His pleas for mercy were muffled by Alexei's
mouth as the feather continued to skip downward, zig zagging
over his torso, curving around his straining erection, then
stroking up and down his legs. Alexei's mouth left his and
traveled south, kissing and nipping a steady path to his nipples.

As Alexei drew one brown nub into his mouth, he willed the sash
to loosen just enough to encourage Fox to continue to struggle
against it. As the feather approached and slithered over his
lover's aching shaft, his teeth closed around the nipple,
incurring an infuriated growl and a barrage of threats. He gave
Fox a little more slack and switched to the other nipple, the
tip of his tongue flitting around it before he sucked it into
his mouth.

Fox twisted and howled, feeling the binding give a bit more. He
started to struggle harder as Alexei raised the plume and, with
a flick of his wrist, began to lightly flog him. The sensation
of hundreds of wispy fingers tapping his flesh combined with the
sting of teeth drove him over the edge. He pulled frantically on
the sash and felt it begin to release its silken hold on his
wrists.

Wild amber eyes met satisfied green as Fox yanked the sash from
the wrist it remained tied around and snatched his lover,
tossing him onto his back against the pillows. Without a
moment's hesitation, he yanked Alexei's legs up and back,
positioned himself at his lover's entrance and drove home.

Fox was now used to being automatically prepared, so it was no
surprise when there was no friction as he buried himself inside
the other man. He simply planted his hands on either side of
Alexei's shoulders and established a ferocious rhythm, half
growling, half whimpering with every thrust.

Knowing that Fox was far beyond realizing anything but his own
desperate need, Alexei grasped his renewed erection and began to
stoke it in time to his lover's thrusts. In no time he reached
the same level of passion, and he grasped a handful of golden-
brown hair, pulling Fox down to him.

Fox landed on top of Alexei's chest, feeling the other man's
hand moving between them. The knowledge of what Alexei was doing
somehow filtered in past the wall of lust that surrounded him,
and he squeezed a hand between them, helping his mate as he
continued to pound furiously into him.

Alexei's mouth curved into an agonized smile as he felt his
lover's hand wrap around his own and fall into the rhythm he had
set. He buried his face in Fox's hair and, digging the fingers
of his free hand into the exquisitely rounded muscles of the
other's buttocks, he let go of every last bit of his control and
allowed the devastating sensations to carry him away.

The fury of Alexei's orgasm raged through one body and then the
other. Fox's roars of ecstasy joined his lover's, echoing
throughout the entire west wing of the house and reaching the
ears of a few servants and the two who had only just arrived.

Dana smiled at the sound and looked up to her new lover.
"They're at it again."

Daniel chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head. "I
suppose it would be a good idea to wait a while before we
announce ourselves."

"I hope they aren't too much longer. I'm anxious to know if
Alexei's met with his father again."

Daniel directed her to a velvet-cushioned divan and sat beside
her. "I was wondering that myself. Alexei is so angry about what
Malik did to Fox, I do not know if he will ever forgive him."

"Well, I must say that I wouldn't blame Alexei in the least,"
Dana huffed. "I know what his reasons were, and as far as I'm
concerned, it is still unforgivable."

"Fox thinks Alexei should forgive him," Daniel countered meekly.

"Fox is so reasonable and kind-hearted that sometimes it drives
me absolutely mad. We have a student who is such an obnoxious
monster...does everything and anything to disrupt class, and for
whatever insane reason he has, he despises Fox, yet Fox
continually excuses his deplorable behavior, saying that it is a
cry for attention from an unhappy, neglected young man. And *I*
keep telling him that the only attention that demon needs is
from the business end of a horsewhip."

Daniel frowned and sucked in a quick breath. "You are a hard
woman, Dana. Remind me never to get on your bad side."

Dana rolled her eyes and said nothing.

"I assume this terror of which you speak is Jeffrey."

"You know of him?"

"Alexei has mentioned him. With as much distaste in his tone as
you, I might add."

"Yes, Alexei cannot stand him. In fact, one day he had all he
could take of Jeffrey attacking Fox and finally took action."

Daniel chuckled. "Yes, how is he?"

"Miserable, but all right. He will not be able to get around
for some time yet. and I pity the staff members who have to take
care of him." She thought a moment, then continued. "You know,
it's a terrible thing to say, but he got what he deserved."

Daniel nodded. "He is fortunate that is all that happened to
him. Alexei was furious. No one will hurt Fox and get away with
it."

"I know," Dana breathed. "It's so romantic. You can see the
adoration in Alexei's eyes when he looks at Fox...do you see the
way they can't go for long without touching each other?" She
sighed wistfully. "I almost melted when I found out that in the
beginning, Alexei would come to Fox and make love to him in his
dreams..." She smiled. "...and then he turned himself into a cat
just to be close to him...it's so very sweet."

Daniel moved closer and wrapped an arm around Dana. "You like
that, do you?"

"Oh, yes."

"Well...I can turn myself into animals also."

Dana raised an eyebrow and gave him a sideways grin.

"What would you like, m'lady? Cats have been done, so...a bird?
I will sit on your shoulder and sing to you..."

Dana giggled.

"A monkey? Your pupils would enjoy an entertaining chimpanzee
far more than a lazy cat...wait...I know...a horse."

Dana cocked her head. "A horse? Why a horse?"

A pair of red eyebrows waggled suggestively, and Daniel fixed a
leering grin on her.

Dana's eyes grew wide, and she began to laugh as Daniel backed
her into the corner of the divan.

********************

Fox lay on top of Alexei, so completely sapped of strength that
he could not even manage a smile when the rumbling purr sounded
in his ear. He merely sighed softly then fell into contented
silence.

Alexei drew his hand up and down the perspiration-drenched
back, immersed in sensual bliss. He loved this time afterward,
when the fires of their passion were reduced to softly glowing
embers.

He kissed the top of the damp head that lay nestled under his
chin.

And he loved this man.

So easily driven to a ferocity that was only matched by
Alexei's, he just as easily slipped back into his quiet, sweet
character when satisfaction was reached. He was amazing, this
beautiful creature with the sinfully lush lips and painted eyes,
and Alexei gave thanks every day for him and vowed that he would
always feel as wanted and loved as he did at this moment.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft utterance of his name.

"Daniel?"

The two men spoke to each other without Fox ever having heard a
word.

"Yes. Are you two going to pass the entire day in bed?"

"Possibly."

"Do you not care that you have guests?"

"What guests?"

"Dana and myself."

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough...do you both always make so much noise?"

No reply.

"He looks as though he is asleep. Can you not slip away and
come visit with us?"

"I do not wish to leave him."

"He will not even know!"

Alexei combed his fingers through his lover's hair, letting the
damp strands fall back over his shoulders. "No. I spent far too
much time without him, wishing that I could have him back with
me. Now he is here and it feels so good, Daniel. When he wakes,
he will find himself right here in my arms where he fell asleep."

"Very well," Daniel grumbled. "I shall inform Dana that we are
to..."

Fox stirred, diverting Alexei's attention from his silent
conversation with his friend. His head shifted a fraction, and
he moaned almost inaudibly.

"Hungry."

Alexei hugged him and placed a tender kiss on his head. "Are
you awake enough to eat?"

Fox stretched within the circle of his lover's arms and opened
his eyes. "Mmm hmm."

"Our friends are here."

Fox blinked and lifted his head. "How do you know that?"

"I was just speaking with Daniel."

"Oh. Well. We each have news to share," he whispered, his eyes
glowing softly. I suppose we should go have dinner with them."

An hour later the four were celebrating again, this time
without benefit of spirits. Daniel and Dana left early, as Fox
had to be in class in the morning, and soon after they were
gone, the two men were back in bed.

"Will you come with me to class tomorrow?" Fox asked the man
dozing in his arms.

"If you wish," Alexei murmured sleepily, dropping a kiss in the
center of his lover's chest.

"Yes. Just for Amir's sake. He misses Jade, and he was so
adamant in his belief that he would return. It will thrill him
to be able to tell me that he was..."

The faint sound of snoring reached Fox's ears, and he smiled in
the muted candlelight. He kissed the top of Alexei's head and
joined him in sleep.

********************

The children filed into the classroom, smiling when they saw
Fox at his desk, but it was Amir's sad little face that prompted
him to speak. "Good morning, Amir." Deep brown eyes remained
cast toward the floor. "Good morning." "Are you all right?"
"Yes, Mr. Fox." The little boy looked up with pleading eyes.
"Have you been ill again?" "Ill? Oh. No." Fox smiled at him.
"I'm fine. I just needed a little time off." The boy scrutinized
his teacher. "I can see your smile in your eyes." "Can you?"
"Yes. It has been a very long time. Are you happy again?"

"You are a very intuitive boy, Amir. Yes, I am happy again. And
I have a surprise for you."

"For me?"

The appearance of a dark blur in the corner of his eye drew
Amir's attention to the window. There, balancing on the sill,
was a big black cat with deep, sparkling green eyes.

"Jade!"

The cat meowed softly and leapt to Fox's desk.

"You came back!" The small boy bounced up and down. "I knew you
would!"

The other boys crowded around the desk, also expressing their
happiness at the cat's return. Jade stretched unruffled across
the desk and allowed himself to be petted by many small hands.

Fox sat back smiling and watched Amir break from the group and
walk over to him.

"I told Miss Dana," the boy stated in his most confident, 'I
told you so' voice, "that if he could, he would return."

"Yes, you did, Amir," Fox told him, laughing softly. "It would
appear that you were smarter than all of us."

Slowly, the other boys drifted back to their seats, leaving
Amir alone at the desk. He reached over and stroked the cat's
head. "I see you are wearing your collar," he observed, looking
at the circle of green glass around the animal's neck. "Do you
like it?"

The cat stood up and butted his head against the child's chest,
giving him a small meow.

Fox covered his mouth with his hand to hide the amused grin. "I
believe that was a yes, Amir."

Swelling with happiness, the boy hugged the cat and kissed the
top of his head. Fox asked him to then take his seat, and he
began class.

Hours later, the boys said goodbye to Jade and went off to
enjoy the rest of their day. As usual, Fox walked to his little
house with the cat riding on his shoulder. Seconds afterward, he
and Alexei were back in their house. They made love for hours
that night, slept peacefully, and the next day after Fox's
class, they paid a visit to Malik to deliver their news and
announce Alexei's decision.

Genuinely overjoyed, Malik insisted on an elaborate ceremony,
but Alexei refused, contending that they wanted it to remain
intimate. After much haggling, they reached a compromise. On the
day of the bonding ceremony, only Alexei's family, Daniel, Dana,
and the old woman Selima were in attendance, but afterward there
was a huge celebration, and Fox was formally introduced to the
prince's subjects.

That night after many hours, the party was still going strong,
and Alexei was beginning to weary of sharing his lover with
everyone. He well understood their enchantment with Fox, but
possessiveness was beginning to get the better of him, and as
soon as the opportunity presented itself, he swept his lover
away to a secluded corner.

Fox's eyes sparkled in the candlelight as Alexei backed him
against the wall. His mate leaned in, pressing the lengths of
their bodies together, and rested his hands against the gilded
walls on either side of Fox's head.

"I have missed you," Alexei moaned against the other man's
cheek as he gently rocked against him.

Fox laughed softly. "We've been together all day."

"Yes, us and about three thousand others. I need to be alone
with you."

"We can't leave," Fox reasoned, "all these people are here for
us."

"I know, I know," Alexei pouted, "but they keep pulling you
away from me. I would feel better at least if we were within
touching distance."

Fox merely smiled.

"Do I sound like a jealous fool?"

"Jealous, yes. Foolish, never. I am flattered, my love."

Alexei moved in and brushed Fox's lips with his own. "What you
are is beautiful...and mine." He kissed his lover softly, then
pulled back to speak again. "I am sorry that I forgot to mention
the ritual bath before the ceremony. Did you mind being attended
to by someone other than me?"

"It was strange and a bit awkward, I must admit." Fox stroked
the side of Alexei's face. "But I lived through it. Maybe I
would not have been so uncomfortable though, if it were just one
man. But four?"

"I cannot tell you why four are needed, only that it is part of
the ritual." Alexei gave him a lascivious grin. "I must say that
while the thought fills me with jealousy, it also sends a twinge
of excitement through me. I think perhaps I should like to watch
a group of handsome, muscular men bathing my beautiful Fox."

One golden-brown eyebrow arched upward. "*Really*?"

"Possibly. They are well-trained in their duties and know
exactly what is expected...and what is *not* expected. I
certainly would not have to concern myself with any of them
behaving in an inappropriate manner." He tilted his head and
drew his tongue along his lover's jaw. "But while I was being
bathed, I thought of them touching your wet, bare skin..."

Fox's eyes fluttered, and his respiration deepened.

"...being so close to your mesmerizing beauty and knowing that
they could never have you. How frustrating it must have been for
them."

"How do you know they were frustrated?"

"They were breathing, Fox. No one who is even only half alive
could do what they had to do and not be affected. I *know* that
I will have you when we leave here, and yet being this close to
you and not being able to tear your clothes off right now is
frustrating *me* beyond words."

Fox grinned and pressed his hips forward, coming in contact
with the solid evidence of his lover's desire. "That's nice," he
purred. "Can you hold that thought for a few hours more?"

Alexei groaned deeply and ground his hips against Fox's. "I
honestly do not know how I will be able to. Do you really think
anyone will notice if we slip away for a little while?"

"Yes, many will notice."

Both men turned in the direction of the amused masculine voice.

Alexei turned and glared at the fourth oldest of his siblings.
"Go away, Omar."

"People are asking for you. I promised Father I would go and
look for you."

Alexei turned his focus back on Fox, more specifically Fox's
mouth, and spoke again to his brother. "You have found us, now
go away."

Fox submitted to a long, sensuous kiss, then attempted to put
some distance between them. "We will be there shortly, Omar." He
observed his lover's exasperated expression and took him by the
hand. "Come on, you know we must get back to our guests."

"Fine," Alexei muttered, "but two more hours at the most. Then
you and I are going home; I do not care *how* much my father
protests."

Over four hours later, they were tangled together in the
comfort of their own bed, sweat-soaked and deeply satisfied.

Alexei moaned softly and rubbed his head against the shoulder
it rested on. "Perhaps you might explain to me how such a
wonderfully sweet, quiet, dignified man can turn into such a
demon in bed?"

A faint growl rumbled in Fox's chest as he gently bathed the
small trickle of blood from Alexei's shoulder. "I believe..."
His tongue swiped once more at the tiny wound. "..it has
everything to do with *inspiration*."

"Oh?"

"Yes. The right inspiration can do wonders for a person."

Alexei raised his head, and his eyes twinkled with lurid
merriment. "And I inspire you to such debauchery?"

"Yes, you do."

Alexei chuckled as he moved in to capture his lover's mouth.
"Why, Fox. I do believe that is the sweetest thing you have ever
said to me..."

********************

Five months later

********************

Alexei sat quietly by the golden stream, looking out at the
lands that in just a few short hours would come into his
possession. So deep in thought was he that he did not hear Fox's
approach until his lover crouched by his side. He smiled up into
sedate, gold-flecked eyes, then again scanned the area.

"Are you sure you do not mind moving into the palace?"

Fox combed his fingers through the shimmering length of his
mate's hair. "No. I understand that the king must live amongst
his people. Our house is still there when we feel the need to
get away once in a while."

There was a brief silence between them, then Alexei spoke. "Fox?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think I will make a good king?"

"Of *course* I do. And so do your brothers and sisters...and
Daniel and Dana...and your father. He is so proud of you, Jade."

Alexei looked once more into his lover's eyes. "You knew I
would not have been able to live with myself if I had cut him
out of my life."

Fox nodded.

"You are so very wise. I think it is a very good thing that I
have you to rule by my side." A soft smile curled his mouth.
"And with Daniel as my premier advisor, perhaps I will not make
too many terrible mistakes."

Fox shook his head and laughed quietly. "You will be a
marvelous king. With or without Daniel and me."

"You have so much faith. I pray that I will never disappoint
you."

"*Never*. I love you , Alexei. And your love is all I will ever
need to make me happy." Fox leaned in and planted a tender kiss
on the other man's lips. When he pulled away, Alexei gave him a
more confident smile and changed the subject.

"Is Dana settled?"

"I was with her just before I came here to find you. She is all
settled and when I left, was immersed in plans to change the
whole house. Poor Daniel. I hope he is not having second
thoughts about marrying her."

Alexei laughed. "Are you serious? Daniel is so in love with
her, he almost reminds me of myself."

"Almost?"

"Yes." Alexei drew his fingertips down his lover's cheek. "He
could never love Dana as much as I love you. No one has *ever*
loved anyone the way that I love you."

That statement prompted another kiss, then Fox slowly stood and
held his hand out. "Come. It's time for you to get ready."

Alexei took a deep breath and reached out for Fox's hand. Fox
pulled him to his feet, and they embraced for a long moment
before moving off in the direction of the palace.

"So...what will your first official act as king be?"

Alexei glanced over at Fox as they walked, displaying that
familiar wicked grin.

"To bed the royal consort...what else?"

END