Together Bound

by Elizabeth Noble

  Nick nodded, miserable and a bit ashamed he’d even think Todd would do something like that to him.

  Tenderly running his fingers through Nick’s hair for a few minutes, Todd sighed and nudged Nick forward. “I saw a pharmacy next to the hotel. I’m going to run down and get you something for your headache.”

  “It’s not that bad.”

  “I can see how much your head hurts. You sit tight. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Will you be okay?”

  Nick nodded and smiled, flopping back on the couch. Some of the tension eased out of his chest. He rolled his head to the side and smiled at Todd, who slipped on a jacket and quietly left, the door closing softly behind him. The lock snicked softly as he made sure Nick was securely locked in, safe. Nick settled more comfortably against the couch and let his eyelids drift closed.

  A sharp rap on the door brought Nick from partially dozing to awake and dealing with his pounding skull again. Sighing, he pushed off the couch and went to the door, expecting Todd with his arms laden with whatever he’d purchased. After opening the door, a sarcastic remark about to tumble loose, Nick straightened and took a hasty step back when he saw Clarke standing in the hall.

  “To—my master isn’t here right now. He went to the pharmacy,” Nick said in a rush. He took a deep breath and stepped back into the doorway, filling it. He often forgot his size and that he made a pretty effective roadblock.

  Clarke waved a hand at the hall he stood in. “May I wait here?” He smiled. “This place has room service and a delivery staff, and you’re free to use them.” Clarke reached out and gently tapped Nick’s forearm. “And Nick—” he touched a fingertip of his other hand to his left eye “—when you’re inside the sanctuary, you have to remember not to do that.”

  Feeling his cheeks flush, Nick immediately looked at the floor. “I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  Clarke stepped back and leaned against the wall opposite the door, waving Nick off. “It doesn’t bother me in the least. But some people at the estate, they’re a bit militant about those things, so watch yourself, okay?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I appreciate what you and Todd are doing. I have some understanding of how difficult this must be for you.”

  Nick’s gaze flicked up and then down to between his feet again. “Todd said we’re still sentries. It’s our job.”

  Clarke smiled. “Your master is a very good man.”

  “You don’t have to tell me that. No one does. I know better than everyone what he’s like.” Nick couldn’t help the edge of defiance that crept into his voice. How dare this man even remotely think Todd wasn’t a good person?

  “I meant that as a compliment.” Clarke sighed and folded his hands together in front of him. “My father was a slave, so when I say I understand, Nick, I really do. What I did, sending that letter, it was wrong, and I am sorry.”

  “Your father was your mother’s slave?” Nick knew, of course, that a child from such a union would not be a slave and have full-fledged citizenship in New Colorado Protectorate. It wasn’t uncommon, however not something Nick ever gave much thought to.

  Clarke chuckled. “What? You think you and your master cornered the market on desire and love?”

  “I…uh…” Nick felt himself flush crimson. “I didn’t—”

  “It’s all right, Nick.”

  Todd picked that moment to come striding down the hall. He eyed the vice chancellor up and down coolly before stepping over to Nick. “You okay?” He turned back to Clarke. “He doesn’t have to let anyone in if I’m not here.”

  Laying a hand on Todd’s arm, Nick spoke softly. “It’s okay, Todd, he didn’t do anything.”

  Clarke smiled placidly. “I asked if I could wait here for you, and Nick was kind enough to keep me company and chat.” He held up a folder. “I have some information and papers for you.”

  “Come in.” Todd nodded, and Nick straightened so he could walk by and into their room, Nick trailing behind. Todd walked to a dresser and set down his bags, his back to Nick and Clarke. “Use the furniture, Nick,” he said without turning around.

  When Clarke huffed a short laugh, Todd looked over his shoulder, eyebrow arched. Shrugging, Clarke looked embarrassed. “Sorry, I was telling Nick that my father was a slave, and that brought back a lot of memories. My mother did the same thing. They’re both gone now.”

  Todd looked away. “I’m sorry.” He pulled a small bottle from the bag and ducked into the bathroom, back out in a few seconds with a glass of water. “Did she ever break him of it?” After poking at Nick’s shoulder, Todd offered him a smirk, water, and some pills. He nodded to the sitting area.

  Clarke shook his head. “No.”

  Nick grinned sheepishly and took the pills, downed them, then sat on one of the large chairs in the sitting room.

  Todd followed a minute later and leaned a hip against the arm of Nick’s chair. “What do you have for us?” His tone was one Nick was all too familiar with. It was Todd’s take-charge, business voice, and it had the same effect on the vice chancellor it had on everyone else they dealt with. Todd was given immediate authority and respect. That voice always had another effect on Nick: it made heat curl in his belly and his cock feel warm and full. Todd was sheer power, and the way it came out in his voice never ceased to affect Nick on a very base and primal level.

  Silently, Clarke handed Todd an envelope of papers and seated himself on the couch opposite them. “Meet Tyler McCabe. I had those drawn up today after you left. I had already worked details out much more thoroughly for Nick.”

  “We’ll start with Nick.” Todd handed Nick the stack of papers and envelope marked T. McCabe, which didn’t surprise him at all. Todd would want to know how Nick fit into things before he agreed to let Nick do anything. Nick quietly put the papers on his lap and folded his hands over them.

  “Once the orphans come into the sanctuary, they have their wrist brands removed, but Nick also has one on his chest, yes?”

  Todd looked up sharply, nodding.

  Nick thought he was prepared for hearing those words, but not so. His chest constricted, and his stomach dropped. Everything inside him seemed to tighten down and turn cold. It was taking away who he was, his entire identity.

  “You can’t take my brands. They’re mine. It’s what ties me to Todd.” He didn’t mean to snap the words out so harshly, especially after Todd had subtly and quietly ordered him to sit, which also meant being silent and behaving formally.

  “Nick.” Todd’s voice was very soft but firm.

  Todd dropped a hand to the top of Nick’s head, skimmed his fingers through Nick’s hair, then rested them on the back of Nick’s neck while Todd finished reading through the papers. He sighed, setting them on his knee but out of Nick’s line of sight. Running his other hand over his mouth, Todd landed a stern gaze on Clarke and drew a deep breath.

  Nick’s fingers tightened around one another until his knuckles were white and his hands cramped. He stared down at them through shimmering vision. Was it possible Todd was going to let this happen? His mind simply couldn’t wrap around the thought.

  Clarke fidgeted but remained silent.

  “You and I need to be on the same page here. I want this to be crystal clear. If at any point I feel Nick is threatened in any way, we pull out. I am responsible for his actions, his well-being, and his care. I will not tolerate him being compromised in any manner. If there is any…interaction…between him and estate staff that he doesn’t like, we’re out of there. We’re going to be separated a lot. I don’t like that, but I don’t see a way to avoid it, either. That will mean I can’t protect him at all times. He’s used to me being around, and I won’t put up with my mate being intimidated by anyone there.”

  Todd swiped his thumb back and forth a few times against Nick’s neck under his hair. He glanced down at Nick and offered him a small smile before turning back to Clarke. “And there will be no removing of my marks.”

  “I never considere
d the surgery. It’d be a waste of time, really.” Clarke nodded at the papers Todd held. “As you can see all along, I was trying to arrange this so Nick was protected, at least somewhat. I found a religious order, not huge and a bit zealous. They wear leather wristbands. I’ll have a set delivered for Nick. That should cover his arm brands. As for the one on his chest, I guess just make sure you keep your shirt on. This particular order also only has same-gender matings, mostly male. The higher percentage of orphan slaves are female, for some reason, and more of them seem to interest the estate staff. That was the most undesirable I could make him. He’ll be given the job on the estate as a teacher and caretaker of some of the children. That should allow him to move about fairly freely and unnoticed.”

  Todd nodded and traded the papers he held for those on Nick’s lap. After scanning them quickly, he turned his gaze on Clarke, waiting expectantly.

  “As for you,” Clarke continued. “I decided the best thing was to let you do what you always do. I had you, or rather Tyler McCabe, added to our security staff. That should give you completely free rein of the entire estate. You’ll be assigned to and working directly under the man responsible for the orphan slaves, which I’m hoping will give you even a bit more access to Nick than if you were simply a regular member of security. His name is Lawrence Witze. There are three slaves, and Nick, of course, being taken into the orphan sanctuary at the end of this week. Your first official assignment, Mr. McCabe, is to escort them via train to the Chancellor’s Estate. The day after you arrive there is an official state function, a formal cotillion welcoming the newer employees and parliament members. Try not to drop dead from the boredom.”

  Todd laughed outright at that. “I don’t really have the proper attire for something like that.” He looked down at Nick. “Let’s get this thing taken care of before it starts, huh?”

  Nick grinned and nodded enthusiastically. He was all on board with them spending as little time as possible there.

  “Nice try, but everything the security staff needs is supplied. That includes their dress uniforms.”

  “Greeeeeat.” Todd exhaled and rolled his eyes.

  “About the chancellor, is there a possibility—?”

  “I don’t know.” Todd cut him off. “We’ll do everything we can, of course, but until I can evaluate what’s going on, Rod Shaffer’s fate is something I can’t comment on.”

  Clarke nodded and focused on a point between his feet and took a few breaths.

  “Understood. You and Nick board the train in two days. The other slaves won’t be brought on until the day you’ll arrive at the estate. They’ll board early in the morning. Until then, please feel free to stay here, and if you need anything, as I told Nick, there is room service and a delivery staff.

  “If you’d provide your account information to me before you leave, I’ll have the funds deposited, three times your regular fee. I did take the liberty of having all this cleared with Mr. Cantor. He is the official overseer of sentries. I thought it appropriate.”

  “Thank you.” Todd followed Clarke to the door and let him out, then closed, locked, and double-checked the locks. He turned and leaned back against the doors, sighing. “You look like hell.”

  Nick snorted. “Thanks. That’s what I like the best about you, your charm.”

  Chuckling, Todd waved at the large bed. Everything on it was white, including the ladder-work wooden frame. “Why don’t you get a nap? You’ll feel better. I’m going to hit the shower. Then we can go out and grab something to eat or order that room service Clarke keeps bragging about.”

  After stripping, Nick stretched out on the mattress and tossed everything but a light sheet off the bed. The sheet he draped over his hips. Todd dimmed the lights and vanished into the bathroom. Nick let his eyes drift closed, and he dozed off to the sound of water hitting tiles.

  * * * *

  Todd cranked his head forward to let the hot water hit hard enough on his flesh to loosen muscle and relax his neck and shoulders. As nice as Clarke was being to them, this entire situation sucked, and they all knew it. The impulse to grab Nick and run, vanish into the wilderness, was nearly impossible to resist. The thought of Nick having to live his life on the run was the only thing keeping Todd here. He was, however, completely prepared to put that plan into action whenever he needed.

  In the meantime, he admired the bathroom. It was large, mostly rough stone tile in muted colors. There was a shower and separate bathtub large enough for two people along one wall. Along the other wall was one complete stretch of counter with dual sinks. The toilet was at the far end behind a divider. He leaned over the bath and picked up some of the oils left there for the guests. Candles were placed at each of the four corners of the deep tub. Sniffing them, Todd smiled. Lavender and sandalwood. Todd wondered if the inn keepers knew the medicinal effects of those particular plants. Considering they were found in the bath he thought it likely they did.

  Todd rubbed a towel over his head, draped it across his shoulders, pulled on clean boxers, and padded silently into the main room, planning on enticing Nick into the large tub. His young mate’s headache was a direct result of stress from the past few days. A nice hot soak surrounded by lavender and sandalwood and Todd’s own special methods of relieving stress, and he was sure Nick’s headache would vanish and he’d feel better.

  He stopped dead when his gaze landed on Nick sprawled across the bed, asleep. His dark brown hair fanned out around his head, which was turned to one side. His arms flopped to the sides with his hands above his head and nearly to the slatted head of the bed. A light sheet was draped over his hips, dipping between his legs so the long slash of muscular thigh was exposed.

  Todd’s mouth dried. He slipped the towel from his shoulders and let it drop to the floor. His cock immediately filled, his interest piqued. Twice Todd had tied Nick, teased him, kept him on the edge for hours before letting him orgasm. They’d only begun to explore such things, and they’d both enjoyed Nick being restrained. The second time, Nick had asked Todd to use the soft cloth bonds and blindfold they had at home.

  Then Todd had gone and ruined it, tying Nick to a bed for real and taking off on his self-imposed mission of revenge. Since their return from West Caldera, he’d been afraid of any sort of restraint during sex, no matter how much Todd desired it. He simply was too unsure how Nick would react, and in all honesty, a small part of him feared his mate’s rejection. Asking Nick what he wanted was more of an option now Todd was more likely to get an honest answer, not what Nick thought Todd wanted to hear. Still, the thought sent small sparks of fear through his chest. It was ridiculous. Todd faced down all sorts of horrors, yet this sweet-tempered boy he shared his home with scared the life out of him sometimes.

  The way Nick was lying was exactly what he’d done that second time, when he’d convinced Todd to tie him up. Todd moved silently across the room and took a knife from one of his duffels. He snatched the towel off the floor and sliced it into five strips. He replaced the knife, crossed to the bed, and very quietly and gently pulled the pillows away from Nick’s head before moving one of Nick’s arms up and securing that wrist to the slats on the bed frame. When Nick didn’t so much as hitch a breath, Todd eased the other arm into a similar position and tied that.

  Next, he slid Nick’s legs as far apart as possible and tied them to the bed. The final strip of cloth he worked across Nick’s face, blindfolding him. Glancing around the room, Todd smiled broadly when he spotted the pillows he’d tossed on the floor. Smile becoming positively wicked, Todd took a pillow and worked the stitching loose along one corner.

  “Yes,” he whispered and punched the air once. He got two fingers in and extracted one of the long, thin feathers the pillow was stuffed with. Soundlessly, he pulled one of the chairs up close to the bed, leaned forward, and ran the tip of the feather lightly down Nick’s side.

  At once, Nick’s breathing sped up, his skin twitched, and the muscles underneath fluttered. Todd leaned back and watched
Nick move, slowly waking up and trying to stretch. Todd watched as the message filtered into Nick that he was tied. Nick jerked completely awake, turned his head one way, then the other, tested moving arms and legs. Emotions flitted over Nick’s features. Even with his eyes covered, Todd could tell by the way his mouth twitched, how he tensed, how legs and chest strained and turned rigid, that Nick was cycling through confusion, excitement, fear. His hips rolled up as far as the bindings would allow before he dropped back flat, panting and flooding Todd’s brain with a haze of lust.

  “Todd?” Nick cocked his head to one side, obviously straining to hear. “Is that…who’s there?”

  Leaning over in the chair, Todd dragged the feather over Nick’s hip and down his inner thigh. The panting moans from Nick’s mouth sent a zing of excitement through Todd. He eased out of the chair and leaned over Nick, letting his lips and chest dip close enough Nick would feel the heat from his body but not the contact of skin. Todd blew a line of warm breath over Nick’s neck, down his chest, and across his abs, following with the feather. Tongue flicking out, using only the tip, he circled over Nick’s chest brand, just barely touching the skin there.

  The corners of Nick’s mouth twitched up. “If you’re not my master, when he gets here, he’ll kick your ass.”

  Leaning on one elbow beside Nick, Todd licked at his closest nipple until it was a hard pink-brown bud. Covering it with his mouth, he sucked until Nick was moaning and writhing, hips trying to buck up. When he pulled back, breathing out, “He will, will he?” he tapped the feather against Nick’s upper arm and then trailed it down, under, and around Nick’s chin and along the column of his long neck. He trickled the feather back up along the path he’d just taken, turning it on end and making small circles against Nick’s flesh, delighted when Nick’s breathing sped up. Todd’s breathing was short, hard pulls of air into his lungs. He felt as if he’d explode from all the want coursing through his veins and curling around his testicles.

  Nick licked his lips, swallowed, nodded, and gasped out, “He’s very possessive.”