The gala was a masterpiece of decadence and danger, the kind of place where secrets waltzed behind silk masks and sin hid beneath every polished smile. The ballroom shimmered with illusion: chandeliers floating midair, champagne glasses refilling themselves, and a haze of glamour coating the crowd in gold-lit perfection.
Kael stood at the edge of the marble staircase, half-cloaked in shadow, his mask of dark green feathers curling at the edges like ivy. He adjusted the collar of his black suit—tailored to hug his lean form—and exhaled slowly. Here, in this neutral territory between the fae lands and the vampire underworld, he could be anyone. No royal titles. No ancient expectations.
Just a man looking for one night of freedom.
"Looking for someone?" a voice asked, deep and velvet-rich.
Kael turned. The man behind the voice was tall, commanding. Midnight suit. Mask black as obsidian, framed with silver. The kind of face that would be remembered in dreams—if not for the mask. But Kael could feel it: power. Lurking just beneath that smooth, controlled surface.
"Not anymore," Kael replied, smiling faintly.
Elias didn't smile, not right away. He studied the fae's mouth like he was memorizing it. "Then dance with me."
Kael let himself be led. The music swelled, low and lush, as they glided across the marble floor. His fingers curled against Elias's chest, their bodies moving like twin flames searching for oxygen.
"You're not mortal," Elias murmured.
"Neither are you."
Their dance was a duel—heat in every step, sparks in every turn. Kael's pulse fluttered. The stranger's touch burned. And yet, he didn't recoil. He leaned in. Welcomed it.
Elias pulled him closer, voice grazing Kael's ear. "Come with me."
They vanished into a side hall—behind curtains, down a spiral stair, into a moonlit chamber lined in velvet and stone. The energy shifted. No more music. Just breath. Just hunger.
Kael shoved Elias against the wall first, mouth crashing into his, tasting blood and power. Elias groaned, gripping Kael's hips hard enough to bruise. Their tongues met, battling for dominance, the kiss going dark and deep, filthy and consuming.
"Tell me your name," Elias demanded, voice gravel-thick.
Kael bit his lower lip. "No names. Just this."
Elias growled—and spun him around. The jacket hit the floor. Hands dragged Kael's shirt up, cool fingers skating over inked skin and magic-infused scars. Kael hissed when Elias bit his shoulder, teeth sinking in lightly—not enough to bleed. Not yet.
"Tell me to stop," Elias said.
"Don't you dare."
They undressed each other in fragments. Buttons popped. Zippers groaned. Their bodies clashed like stars in collision, light and shadow, heat and chill. Kael's skin glowed faintly, his fae magic pulsing under Elias's touch.
"Fuck," Elias muttered, tracing Kael's thigh with reverent fingers. "You're glowing for me."
Kael smirked, breath ragged. "You're making me."
Elias sank to his knees, devouring Kael with a hunger that bordered on worship. Tongue and lips mapped every shiver. Every moan. Kael bucked and gasped, fists gripping Elias's hair, anchoring himself in a storm of pleasure.
When Elias stood again, eyes glowing faint red with restraint, Kael leaned in. "Don't hold back. I can take it."
Elias didn't need a second invitation.
Their coupling was a firestorm—bodies slick with sweat, mouths gasping each other's names in the dark. Every thrust was a promise, every cry a spell. Elias took Kael hard, deep, and unrelenting, his bite sinking into Kael's neck at the peak of his release. Kael screamed, back arching, as his magic exploded in a ring of soft green fire around the bed.
Panting. Trembling. Tangled in sheets and afterglow.
Elias kissed Kael's temple, then stood. "Stay here."
Kael blinked, dazed. "Where are you—?"
But Elias was already gone.
Only the scent of him lingered. And the crimson mark glowing faintly on Kael's chest.
He touched it—and something ancient stirred inside him.