Royal Affair Page 8

  He closed his eyes but listened intently to Keiran’s awkward steps, movements obviously restricted by a throbbing bulge between his legs. Cloth rustled, and then his folded-up robe landed by his nose.

  Jace sat up, sliding his gaze to the side. Keiran wasn’t looking at him. Mildly disappointed, he pulled on the robe and cinched the ties around his waist so the thick material concealed his cock. He had an erection as well, his organ hard and swollen. Burning heat gathered in his loins now that he wasn’t lying on his stomach with his cock trapped beneath him.

  Folding his legs, Jace patted the spot on the ground next to him. “Sit,” he implored again. He made his voice firm, the request clearly an order.

  Keiran sat stiffly, perched nervously without really relaxing.

  I should go easier on him.

  “Are you going to be able to get used to this?” Jace asked. “I do this all the time.”

  Keiran let out a nervous little cough and then said nothing. Jace knew what he thought, that he might be a bit too comfortable with this already.

  Jace continued on as if he hadn’t noticed the silence. “I’m interested in learning more about you, you know. You really proved yourself on the journey here.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Is that all you’ve got to say? You were much more talkative before. Did someone say something wrong to you?” The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, anger brewing just beneath the surface. If anyone dared speak to Keiran out of anything less than respect, he would have them thrown into the dungeon.

  But the omega stayed silent, staring down at his hands. His shoulders hunched up around his neck. Everything about him spoke of acute discomfort. He was nothing at all like he had been during the journey; Jace wanted the old Keiran, the confident one.

  “You might be my servant but that doesn’t mean I think I’m in control of you. You’ll be more of my confidant than anything else.”

  “Does that mean I can talk?”

  “Of course you can!” Jace grabbed onto that sentence and put as much conviction into it as he could. “And you can say whatever you want. Whenever you want. To anyone. You are under my protection now. More than just a simple servant. Do you understand?”

  The conviction of his words startled Keiran. They startled Jace, too. He knew he felt something, but he hadn’t known exactly how strong that feeling was until he said all this out loud.

  “You’re really serious about this,” Keiran said, quietly.

  “You have no idea.” He wished that he could tell the omega what he felt about the world they lived in, but his opinions were strange for an alpha. It was best to wait on that until they knew each other better. “So then. Tell me more about you. I want to know all there is about my new servant.”

  “And in return, does the servant get to know all about his presence?”

  Jace flashed a grin. “More than he bargained for, yes.”

  The effect on the omega was instantaneous. His skin flushed and he pulled in a deep breath, almost choking on it. He shifted position, clearly trying to hide the bulge between his legs. Jace said nothing, letting him believe he was successful. As for his own cock, it throbbed all down its length and he felt himself hardening even more than before, if that was somehow possible. This was going to be fun.

  “Keiran?” Just saying the omega’s name felt good.

  Keiran blinked rapidly and pulled in another deep breath before he was capable of speech again. When he spoke, the words came in fits and bursts to spin a longer version of the tale Jace already knew from before. It was no less amazing that a man with a handful of secret lessons given by a friend could be so resourceful in an emergency, but that said quite a bit about the wolf’s character. Whether or not Keiran was aware of it, he was far more than he gave himself credit for.

  Everything he said came out either extremely humbled or halfway insulting toward himself. Each time made Jace grind his teeth together. Damn this omega’s stupid, smothering father for not recognizing his son’s worth. Damn the society his ancestors created, which made Keiran feel so bound by his position in life that he couldn’t recognize his own worth.

  But out loud, Jace said nothing. All he did was listen until the end of the story came, and then he reached out and placed his hand on Keiran’s shoulder. His shy servant stiffened, in more ways than one, but he didn’t move away.

  “You’ve had quite the life.”

  “It hasn’t been anything interesting since, oh, three weeks ago or so.” Keiran smiled, uneasily. “But what about your life, Ja… my prince? I can’t imagine what it’s like to have grown up in the Capital, much less in a castle.”

  “Just call me Jace, please,” Jace said. He kept his hand where it was on the omega’s shoulder, punctuating his statement with a gentle squeeze. Keiran pressed his lips together, throat working. “And it hasn’t really been anything special in my life either. It isn’t all lying naked in the sun while your new servant admires your ass.”

  He hadn’t thought it possible, but the omega grew even redder. He was practically glowing.

  It seemed to be Jace’s turn to speak now, so he laid it out as best as he could. “Ever since I was very young, my life has been on a schedule.”

  And while that schedule changed as he grew and varied from one day to the next, all those days blurred together because the individual parts of the schedule were no different. He rose each day in a bedroom surrounded by expensive toys he never had time to play with, though those toys were continually discarded and replaced with the next round of new ones as they came out. He went through lessons just like any other school-age child, the difference being that he learned manners and diplomacy and fighting while learning how to read his ABCs and to count to 100. The learning never stopped either, though these days it mostly came in the form of sitting in on meetings while trying not to fall asleep.

  “I had no idea,” Keiran murmured.

  “Well, now you do. Living in the lap of luxury… It’s not as freeing as everyone might think.” Jace knew both sides of the argument, but he held his tongue. It wasn’t like he could get a clear thought formed anyway. His control slipped rapidly, becoming more haphazard. Keiran smelled of soap and innocence, and his body was so close…

  “What’s your favorite color?” he blurted out.

  Keiran leaned away, taken aback. Jace’s body cried out at the distance between them, though it was only a few inches of space. “I’ve never thought about having a favorite color. It seems kind of stupid. How can you like one color better than any other?”

  “Easily.” Jace also hadn’t had what he would call a favorite color, though he did prefer the contrast between lighter and darker shades. Now, however, he did have a favorite. Dropping his hand from Keiran’s shoulder, he leaned over in front of the omega and stared deep into his eyes. “I like blue,” he murmured. The hazy irises gazing back at him were the color of warm ocean waves lapping at the beach, a distant but fond memory. That trip to the coast was the last time he’d been allowed to act as a child during a diplomatic meeting with politicians of a prey animal-run country within Dexus.

  He played on the coast from dawn until dusk with two kangaroo brothers and a deer, scampering and chasing one another through the golden dunes until they all looked like nothing more than sand themselves. When dusk came and it was time to head home, Jace looked out at the water and felt something far too profound for his small body.

  And the feeling was the same as this, looking into Keiran’s eyes. The difference was that he had grown into the feeling and understood it for what it was, a strange brew of loss and fascination and discovery.

  “Jace,” Keiran whispered. He could hardly manage to make any sound at all. “What… are you doing?”

  “Something I have wanted to do ever since I first saw you emerge from the caravan,” he murmured. He stroked Keiran’s thigh, and felt the muscle tense into something hard that began to quiver.

  “I can’t…”

  Jace growle
d low in the back of his throat, “You will.” He leaned in closer and closer still, until their foreheads touched. He fumbled with the tie on his robe with fingers that suddenly felt cumbersome, letting it fall open to bare his chest. Keiran’s lips parted and he took the chance, tilting his face so that their lips pressed together.

  The moment was golden and priceless, and it was blue and new. Though it lasted for less than a blink and was as shallow as a kiss ever could be while still being called a kiss, Jace knew that he had found something here that he might never recover from. Damn being a prince. Damn Keiran being a servant. They both wanted this, and they would both have it or else they would surely never be happy. Even if it could only ever be a romance in secret, they would have it.

  “Well?” Jace demanded.

  Keiran didn’t answer, and that was as good an answer as any. Catching the omega’s hands from where they knotted together in his lap, failing to hide his erection from sight, Jace placed one on his chest and planted the other firmly on his own thigh. “Do you like what you feel?”

  Again, no answer, but Keiran’s hands moved in gentle exploration, caressing the ridges of muscle. His lips parted slightly, and Jace gave in to the temptation again, touching their lips together once more. He pressed in hard, moving his lips against Keiran’s to force them wider apart so they breathed the same air. Their foreheads rested together again, but their lips stayed locked, pressing and moving faintly.

  I can’t resist. I want you.

  Jace moved his hand from Keiran’s thigh, sliding over to the inner softness. The omega tensed beneath his touch, anticipation making him pant like the wolf he was. He was only inches away from the prize, fingers itching for it.

  And then the omega was all the way on the other side of the clearing, shapeshifting halfway through his frantic leap so that he landed on four paws instead of hands and knees. His tail curled between his legs and his hackles were up, ears pressed back flat against his skull.

  Jace had moved too fast.

  “Keiran,” he said.

  At the sound of his voice, Keiran pushed off from the grass so hard that clumps of greenery tore up beneath his claws. He scampered for the path that led away from the clearing and the peaceful, gurgling fountain.

  Dammit.

  Jace lunged as well, transforming into his much larger and stronger wolf. Two strides and he blocked the entirety of the exit with his body.

  Keiran skittered to a halt, pulse beating an audible rhythm. He smelled of fear and want and confusion, his pelt rippling with tremors. Moving slowly so as not to alarm him, Jace bent down low over his forelegs and raised his furry ass up in the air in a universal canine invitation to play.

  Keiran just stared at him, every muscle in his body poised to try and leap away somehow. Wagging his tail, Jace let out a teasing bark and peered up into those endless blue eyes. Not only was this position inviting the other to play, it also acted as a request for forgiveness; if he was an omega, he would be fully on his back with his soft stomach exposed, putting him in a position of submission, but as an alpha he could never submit, even if he desired to do so.

  An eternity must have passed before Keiran’s tail lifted up over his back, giving a tentative wave of acceptance. Jace still didn’t move, but rather just continued to wag his tail as well. A few more moments went by and Keiran’s fear evaporated like dew on a humid morning: slowly but surely. His pelt flattened again and his ears slowly pricked up, muzzle and snout twitching. He tipped his head to one side and returned Jace’s bark, though his was one of questioning.

  I’m sorry, Jace thought. He knew Keiran wouldn’t receive his words but their connections as wolves would allow him to receive the intent, if nothing else. I didn’t mean to push you. Let’s relax now. Just enough to get to know each other.

  Moving with small steps, Keiran came to stand with his paws right in front of Jace’s snout. His body burned with warmth, temperature higher than a human’s. The friction of their fur rubbing together reminded the alpha of sex, of mounting while in wolf form. He was aroused again, but he did not act on it even though everything inside him cried out for it. Leaning over his powerful back, the omega pushed his slim muzzle into Jace’s thick neck fur and let out a playful growl.

  Jace’s heart soared in his chest. Keiran’s faith in him was restored. Closing his eyes for a moment to thank whatever god or goddess of love watched over them, he sprang away to the side and resumed his position.

  This time, Keiran charged toward him. Everything about him was beautiful, from the shifting of his pelt to the way the sun shone equally on his black and white areas of coloration. And for an omega, he was graceful.

  Jace sprang away again and again, moving faster now. Keiran yelped excitedly and chased him, fangs snapping to grab at the tip of Jace’s tail. Jace waved the plumy length in front of his face, teasing him by keeping it always just out of reach. He hadn’t been so happy since…

  “Ahem.”

  Jace landed on all four paws and stopped in his tracks. A second later, Keiran’s mouth clamped around his tail and the omega gave a high whine of satisfaction that quickly became a whimper of distress.

  Jace’s advisor Don stood in the middle of the path with his arms folded, expression disapproving as always.

  “My prince, if you could take some time out of your busy schedule,” he said, sarcastically, “you are needed elsewhere.”

  Jace turned back into a human, quite aware of the fact that he was still naked beneath his open robe. Not that it was anything Don hadn’t already seen. “Thank you, my advisor,” he said, equally as sarcastic. “To where am I summoned?”

  “The hospital. It’s quite important.”

  Father.

  Chapter 10

  “You are to say nothing about this to anyone.”

  Don just looked at him with a bland expression, although Jace noticed that his advisor’s fingers had gone pale around the knuckles as he tightly gripped his clipboard. “After all this time, you think that I would go and jabber your secrets?” he scoffed.

  “I haven’t ever had any secrets before,” Jace replied, striding down the hall with Don at his side. He was dressed now. Keiran had taken his robe and scampered away to Jace’s quarters, where he was instructed to wait until the prince returned.

  “Certainly not any like this, yes.” Don sighed. “And it’s not quite the worst thing I’ve ever seen. It’s no wonder that you’re such a hit with the men. And the ladies, I might add.”

  That actually surprised a laugh out of him. It wasn’t often that Don showed his sense of humor. “You looked at my dick?”

  “Hard to miss it,” Don joked. Then, he grew serious again. “I won’t warn you about this except to say that you know what I would say, if I were to say anything.”

  I shouldn’t mess with Keiran. I should send him away. I don’t have time for him. I need to find someone royal or someone who at the very least has had formal court training. I need to focus on the problems at hand before I even begin to think about having a mate, but I also need to start thinking about a mate because who knows how long my father has left?

  And that was only a fraction of things Don told him on a daily basis.

  “Yes, I know pretty well what you would say.”

  “Good. Then our discussion is done.”

  “Is it?” Jace asked. “Or will your head explode if you don’t actually get to verbalize your two cents?”

  A passing cook pushing a cart loaded with food let out a fake cough to cover their laughter. Don glowered at their back as they walked away, cart wheels squeaking a shrill tune. “All I will say is, if you decide to continue this… whatever it is, you might want to be more careful in the future. That is all.”

  After nearly pushing Keiran away with his eagerness, Jace had already decided to be careful. “You have my word. Now, what is all this about my father? Is he getting worse?”

  But Don just shook his head. “I don’t know. I received a message from the docto
r’s page. All it says is for you to arrive as soon as possible, otherwise I wouldn’t have in terrupted you.”

  No news, it seemed, was not going to be good news in this situation. “Well, I can find my own way there for the rest of the way. You’re dismissed to go do whatever it is that you do when you aren’t bossing me around.”

  “I boss others around and terrorize the page boys,” Don fired over his shoulder as he strode off down a branching hallway. Jace mused on that for a moment, almost certain it actually was true.

  The hospital wing of the castle was more modest than its surroundings, appearing less like an actual hospital and more like an elongated cabin. The decorations were like that which forest-dwelling animals seemed to prefer, sylvan and serene.

  Jace passed through the waiting room, greeting those few who sat there as they bowed to him and striding up to the front desk that was painted to resemble an enormous cut tree trunk.

  “A pleasure to have you, Prince,” the nurse behind the counter said. She wore scrubs that resembled a forest floor, all random patches and blended lines of brown and green and gray.

  “A pleasure to speak with you as always, Taliyah. I received a summons from a doctor who called for me to come here as quickly as possible.”

  Taliyah nodded. This was an old drill between them. The Head Predator had been sick for a very long time, often leaving his sickbed only to quickly relapse and get sent right back. Kings and princes were historically more often simple figureheads than true rulers, though their persuasive abilities seemed to defy that; the council easily stood in for the Head Predator when he was unfit to rule. Lately, that was all the time.

  “The doctor is waiting for you in the counseling room. Do you need me to show you where it is?”

  The idea was laughable. Jace shook his head. “No, thank you. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  “I will when my shift is over.”

  He moved off through the doors to the side of the wooden counter and entered into the true hospital, which was just as green and alive as the waiting room. His feet took him to the counseling room by memory alone, and he raised one hand to knock on the door.