Chapter Nine

“Backpack with two Thermoses of hot tea?”

“Check.”

“Two hassocks to keep our butts warm when we have our picnic?”

“Check.”

“Warm clothes, not that you need them…” Sammy looked at Dre, who was busy crossing off the items on their list of things they needed for their trip to Sweden. A quick check on the web had told them that the temperatures in Sweden were still chilly, hence the need for proper outdoor gear, at least for Sammy.

“Check.”

“Camera to shoot pictures of any interesting wildlife or fauna?”

“Check.”

“Paper and crayons to trace the Tanum Petroglyphs?”

Dre grinned broadly and held a leather tube with a strap in the air. “I actually found those cool rectangular crayons, you know, the ones that look like rubbers?”

Sammy frowned. “I always wondered what those are called. What colors?”

“Traditional red, of course.”

Sammy smiled happily. He couldn’t wait for their adventure to begin. Dre had stayed with him the entire week and Sammy had loved it—so much, in fact, that he was beginning to think it didn’t matter if he really wasn’t Dre’s mate. If only he could have a few years like the last week with his gorgeous demon, Sammy was willing to face the heartache when he and Dre had to part ways—or so he told himself. Deep down he knew that his wishful thinking was turning their two-week dream into a reality that might never come to pass, and every time he looked into Dre’s eyes, he knew the demon was doing the same. Sammy wondered if something could become reality when two people only wished for it hard enough.

A kiss on his temple broke him from his bittersweet musings. “Where were you just now, mo grah thu?”

Sammy sighed and snuggled into Dre’s warm embrace. “Somewhere I probably shouldn’t go at the moment. I want to fully enjoy the here and now.”

Dre’s breath ghosted over the side of Sammy’s face like a soft caress. “I know, mo grah thu. I feel the same.” He straightened. “Let’s get going. We have a lot of tracing to do.”

“I can’t wait.” Sammy grabbed the backpack and slung his arms around Dre’s waist. By now he was used to traveling demon style, which had him ruined for planes and cars and any other means of moving from point A to B. Why bother when all one needed was a demon to jump places all over the world? They arrived in Tanum, Sweden, in a small clearing in the forest, where nobody was likely to see them. Even if somebody had witnessed them popping out of thin air, Dre’s magic saw to it that the person in question simply forgot immediately. Still, in the day and age of cell phone cameras, being careful was paramount.

The air was colder than Sammy had expected and instinctively he turned toward Dre to take advantage of his hot boyfriend, pun fully intended, while he clumsily tried to close the zipper of his jacket. Dre chuckled deeply, the sound almost as warming as the actual heat coming off the demon. As soon as Sammy was bundled up, Dre slung the backpack over his shoulder—it was ridiculous how tiny it looked on him—grabbed Sammy’s now-mitten-clad hands and started leading him toward one of the spots where the petroglyphs were. The huge stones were scattered everywhere in the area, and Sammy looked forward to finding the most interesting ones. It was a bit like Easter egg hunting, only with huge rocks.

They had come early enough that not too many people were at the Vitlycke Museum, which gave them a chance to marvel at the Bridal Couple, one of the most famous of the petroglyphs. It was beautiful in its simplicity, a few lines expressing everything there was to say about the joys of bonding with the right person. Even though the carving was rather crude, it spoke to Sammy on a deep level, making him yearn for what he could have with Dre.

“So beautiful. I hope this is going to be us.” Dre voiced Sammy’s thoughts as if he had taken them directly from his mind. It could have been creepy if Sammy hadn’t seen it as proof that he had to be Dre’s mate. Why else would they be so perfectly in tune?

“Me too.” Sammy looked at Dre with a hint of curiosity. “Do we get a wedding ceremony? Or is it done with the bite?”

“Usually it’s done with the bite. It’s considered all the ceremony true mates need. But if you want something more formal than scorching hot sex, we can do whatever you wish.”

“Spoken like a true husband. I like it.” The joke was a bit heavy in Sammy’s mouth, but this was their dream. He could pretend they were engaged.

Dre chuckled. “Whatever you wish, mo grah thu. I’ll give you the world.”

“I only need you.”

“Stop it or we’re going right back to your bedroom, Sammy. You’re killing me here.”

Sammy turned in Dre’s arms and rubbed his cheek on what he could feel of the chiseled abs beneath the thick jacket. Not that Dre needed it, but it helped keep up the magic concealing him. Funnily enough, people had no problem overlooking a seven-foot mountain of a man with red skin and silver tattoos, but their minds drew the line at inappropriate clothing. It was a mystery. When thinking about such things, Sammy often wondered if there was a creator god or goddess somewhere, laughing their ass off at how many jokes they had managed to build into humanity.

“An interesting suggestion. Now the question is are you just horny or do you want to avoid facing me in our little challenge of wisdom?”

Dre snorted. “Hah, as if a puny human could outwit the second son of the demon king!”

“Machu Picchu is all I say.”

“Let me respond with Canada.”

Sammy leaned back a little so they could look each other in the eyes. “Draw?”

Dre’s eyes turned a beautiful shade of crimson. “Too late. Let’s settle this here and now.”

Sammy lifted his chin with utter determination. “Fine. I’ll show you puny.”

“It’s on, squirt.”

They ended their embrace, though Dre kept Sammy’s hand in his when they headed for the trail in Aspeberget.

 

* * * *

 

“Oh man, that was great! And I totally wiped the floor with your sorry ass!” Dre watched as Sammy did a little victory dance in his kitchen, his eyes sparkling like diamonds, cheeks adorably flushed from the cold.

“You wish. Though that little tidbit about the fertility slides was good—not as good as my knowledge about the battle at Tollense, but nice.”

“Hah, Tollense doesn’t count, because that’s in Germany, not in the Tanum area.” Sammy waggled his eyebrows triumphantly.

“I say it does because many of the petroglyphs show scenes of war, and the battle at Tollense happened during the Bronze Age as well. It’s referred to as probably the first real war in the history of mankind, which I admit is kind of sad. Still…it counts.”

“I say that’s cheating.” Sammy stuck his tongue out, which Dre took as his cue to approach his man and kiss him senseless. He had found out quickly that this was the easiest way to make Sammy shut up. Plus, it felt incredible.

When they both had to breathe again, Dre looked down into Sammy’s beautiful eyes. “What do you think, mo grah thu? Shall we shower then have dinner at that lovely French restaurant in Toulouse I told you about or do you want to stay here and order takeout?”

Sammy blinked, which made him look all kinds of adorable. “As much as I’d like to go to Toulouse, I’m just too tired to get dressed again. Let’s shower, order in then laze on the couch. Maybe do some exploring of the more carnal nature?”

His grin was probably meant to be seductive, but Sammy apparently was very tired. He looked like a mole who had just broken the surface. Dre laughed out loud and swept Sammy in his arms.

“Yes to all of the above, though I’m not sure about the carnal things. You look beat, mo grah thu.”

Sammy yawned. “I’ll get my second wind once I’ve eaten. Promise.”

“Yes, mo grah thu. Whatever you say.”

Dre carried Sammy into the shower and, as he had anticipated, into bed when Sammy fell asleep before dessert.