Caledon reached between them, feeling Daniel’s torso. When his hand slipped lower, Daniel stopped him without a word and without breaking the kiss. Caledon hesitated only for a second before he fell into the passionate make-out session, apparently understanding that it wasn’t about feeding.
With all the bad news Daniel had gotten, the moment he shared with Caledon was sorely needed. Since the day he’d been prematurely empowered, Caledon had been there to support him and comfort him when Seldon had been taken away. He’d sat there in all his sexiness and read in bed, and that was the first time Daniel had truly noticed that he was growing attracted to the Lord. Caledon had been kind and patient, and Daniel’s heart filled with gratefulness that he was in his life.
He tightened his grip, and a sound between a content sigh and a groan escaped Caledon, making Daniel’s stomach flutter.
Caledon pulled back, short of breath and looked at Daniel. Surprise flashed on his face, and then an oral dose flew from his mouth, splattering on Daniel’s face and into his mouth. “Oh shit!”
Lust took over, and Daniel thrust against Caledon to get stimulation. And now all their clothes were in the way. He wanted his sexy Lord naked and horny and moaning. Daniel struggled with Caledon’s shirt since he didn’t have the room to pull it over his head when he was still lying flush on top of Daniel.
Caledon chuckled into Daniel’s ear. “Oh, cub got horny, huh.”
“You dosed me, oh God, you dosed me.”
“Yeah. That look in your eyes. So…”
Daniel stopped struggling with the shirt and cupped Caledon’s face to look into his eyes. It wasn’t exactly horniness he saw there, but softness, vulnerability even. “Loving?” Daniel asked, fighting the dose.
Caledon dove in for a greedy kiss, blowing Daniel’s attempts at control out of the water. Caledon assisted in getting them naked, and neediness in his movements and the way he looked at Daniel ramped it all up to unbearably hot.
As soon as Daniel’s legs were untangled from his pants, he shuffled onto his stomach and scrambled to his knees.
“Fuck me, Cale, fuck me, please,” he begged, fisting the sheet and wiggling his ass.
Caledon groaned, grabbed a cheek in each hand, and dove in to rim Daniel. He was in heaven, and Caledon was impatient. It didn’t take long before the Lord stopped and climbed up behind Daniel. He sounded more out of breath than normal at that point, and he was shivering.
“Cale?” Daniel leaned his head back on Caledon’s shoulder, but being penetrated took away his focus as pleasure spread and put a lid on the out of control lust coursing through his body.
“Yeah, cub? Yeah…” Caledon set a slow but deep pace, his breath still erratic, and his thrusts out of sync.
“Cale?”
Caledon pulled out and flipped Daniel over. He then entered him again and locked gazes with him. “Sex can be lovemaking, too, cub, even to us.”
Daniel finally registered what was off about Caledon. He was usually in full control while feeding, but he seemed almost dosed. The vulnerability was so clear on his face, and with the lost dose sticking to Daniel’s face, the emotions finally registered through the high from the dose.
Warmth spread in Daniel, and he clung to Caledon who fucked him while kissing him, clutching at him, caressing everywhere, and the sounds he made sent Daniel spiraling in no time. Daniel lost a dose from every gland and a powerful orgasm barreled through him.
Caledon came almost immediately after, and they shared the aftermath shivering and holding onto each other tightly. As the orgasm ebbed away and the dose lost its hold around Daniel’s thoughts, Caledon’s reaction to their lovemaking came back to him. It was beautiful, and Daniel choked up.
Caledon pulled back to plant gentle kisses all over Daniel’s face, and Daniel basked in the attention, loving the feel of how Caledon grew soft inside him and slipped out, yet he didn’t move from his position between Daniel’s legs.
In strengthening the love in their trio, Daniel found hope and something to move forward for.
Chapter Twelve
D aniel caught himself pacing a groove in the floor in front of the window overlooking the front yard of the Guard House. Seldon, Geodin, and Elakdon would return soon, and Daniel hoped to get the full tale of what had happened.
“Hey.”
Daniel turned to find Marcadon leaning against the door frame. “Hi. I’m just…”
“Pacing.” Marcadon smiled. “Time won’t go faster from it, you know.”
Daniel drew a deep sigh. “I know.”
“I have a better idea. Let’s go see what board games the Guards have.”
“Guard Lords and Ladies play board games?” Daniel asked, following Marcadon from the room. They ended up in the dining room, and Marcadon looked through the shelves.
“Risk, Monopoly, or Parcheesi. There’s also cards.”
“Risk,” Daniel said, taking a seat.
Marcadon took a seat opposite, placed the box, and then didn’t do anything. He stared at the box for about ten seconds, while Daniel wondered what he was doing. “I’ve considered the huge honor you showed me by asking me to be your Fountain. Levidon told me more about it, and he even promised to help suck all those doses out of me and help lower the effect afterward. So I accept the responsibility you entrust me with.”
Marcadon looked nervous at finally giving his answer, but Daniel was thrilled, and he couldn’t hide his excitement.
“Thank you.”
Marcadon gave a curt nod and pulled the lid off the game. “We should be three for this. At least.”
Daniel stood. “I’ll see if a Guard has a break.” He wanted to talk more with Marcadon about his decision at being a Fountain, but Seldon had said his oldest was mostly the strong, stoic, silent type, so Daniel let him keep his thoughts and feelings to himself. If he needed to talk, Daniel hoped he knew that Daniel would listen.
Guard Lady Larkdin stepped out of camouflage. “I can watch over you while playing,” she said, smiling.
Daniel sat again. “Please, join us.”
She did, and Marcadon poured the game onto the table, each choosing a color.
“So. Can Caledon keep up with you now that my dad’s not here?”
Daniel smiled, thinking of the very satisfying feeding the night before. That had been intense.
“Oh, looks like it.” Marcadon grinned.
“And you? How are you with Levidon not being here to pound your ass?”
Marcadon scoffed.
“Guard Lords and Ladies take very good care of our fellow Guard’s regular feeders,” Larkdin said. “If we didn’t, they’d get the Cubi cold.”
“I’ve been taken care of,” Marcadon said. There was something about his smile that Daniel found intriguing. “Who’s first?”
Daniel looked at the board and his cards. “I wish we had a Risk version where the world was Cubi territories instead.”
“Cubi Royals don’t wage wars,” Larkdin said.
The front door opened, and Daniel snapped his head around, listening intensely. The door to the dining room opened, and Seldon walked in. Daniel left the table and jumped into Seldon’s arms, wrapping his legs around the big man’s waist.
Seldon chuckled and held Daniel close. “Hi, boy, did you miss me?”
“Yeah. And I was worried after the news of how it went.”
“We’re all safe,” Seldon said, loosening his grip around Daniel so he could stand on the floor again.
Caledon came in and stopped in the door, smiling. “Good to have you home.”
Seldon turned and smiled. “Yeah. How were things here?”
“Oh, same ol’, same ol’ until that message.”
Wow, that was awkward. Daniel’s jealousy fit came back to haunt him, it seemed. It hurt Daniel that they still kept a distance to placate Daniel.
“There was no alternative outcome,” Seldon said.
“Can we…” Daniel took both their hands and pulled them into the foye
r to be alone.
Seldon grinned as they followed. “What is it?”
“You still keep a distance from each other because of me, don’t you?”
Seldon turned his gaze to the floor, while Caledon unsuccessfully tried to pull off a puzzled look.
“We agreed to give you some time,” Seldon finally said, glancing at Caledon.
“I do need time, but our love threesome shouldn’t revolve around me. I really appreciate that you indulge my teenage fits of insecurity, but…I don’t want to be a wedge between the two of you.”
“Oh, cub.” Caledon moved in to pull him close. “If anything, we’re patient. It took us almost thirty years to get to this point. We can spare the years it takes for you to grow comfortable.”
“Be comfortable now,” Daniel said, but his voice had lost strength.
Seldon moved into the embrace, and the three of them shared a long hug.
“It feels like there’s no room for the two of you, and I don’t want Caledon to feel like he’s butting in, either.”
“After last night,” Caledon said, directing Daniel’s gaze to meet his by a finger under the chin. “I definitely know how you feel about me.”
“Oh?” Seldon asked, and the curious grin on his face held nothing Daniel didn’t want to see.
“I dosed all over the place from a kiss,” Caledon said.
Daniel snickered, and warmth spread in him as the two men leaned in to kiss each other on the lips.
“Sounds hot,” Seldon whispered against Caledon’s lips.
“Oh, it was,” Caledon murmured, grinning.
They shared another kiss, and Daniel felt like he intruded or was in the way as he stood between them. But not in a bad way. He merely felt like giving them a moment, so he backed out from between them. The two old Incubi looked at him, and he smiled.
“Continue! I’m playing Risk with Marcadon and Larkdin.” Daniel skipped from the foyer, happy and more secure in their threesome.
Elakdon had joined them and was setting up his soldiers. “Hope you don’t mind me joining in?”
“Absolutely not.” Daniel took a seat again, smiling to himself at the moment he’d just shared with Seldon and Caledon. But the fact that they were back put Daniel’s focus back on the somberness of their situation, and suddenly taking time to play a board game seemed ridiculous.
Elakdon put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder, and when Daniel looked at him, he found that look of patient understanding that he’d gotten used to with Geodin. “Shall we wait with the game until we’ve talked?”
“Would it put my mind at ease?”
“Some prefer ignorance.”
“I don’t have that luxury, so maybe we should.”
Elakdon smiled and nodded. “I admire how adamant you are about living up to the responsibilities awaiting you in the future. It shows character.” Elakdon squeezed Daniel’s shoulder before he rose from his seat. “Just remember you have experienced people to help you and take over where you don’t feel ready. Don’t break, that’s the most important part, okay?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Elakdon winked, and Daniel followed into the den where Geodin sat along with Grand Lord Ildon, Grand Lord Neardon, Grand Lady Meredin, and Great Lady Laudin.
“Grand Lords, Grand Ladies, welcome. I had no idea you’d come by.”
“My Prince.” Neardon rose to shake Daniel’s hand. “We decided it best. Plus you asked House Lords and Ladies to concoct a list for you?”
Possible Fountains, Daniel remembered. “I did, yes.” He then wondered how many at a time he could Empower. On the other hand, Guard Lords and Guard Ladies needed to feed often, and Levidon was taking well care of Marcadon. “How often do you dose a Fountain?” Daniel asked Elakdon.
“Three times a day.”
“Since I’m not that strong, I’m gonna have to empty a gland every time.”
“Because of how dosed Seldon has been while accompanying me, I should dose him tomorrow morning at the latest. Once you find a Fountain, I’d like to see his or her level to help find out how many doses he or she needs.”
“Marcadon accepted.”
“Oh, well, in that case, we should gauge his level first. But let’s get you informed on the matters of your Kingdom.”
“I’ll get Seldon and Caledon,” Daniel said.
“Please have the Guards who accompanied us be present as well,” Elakdon said. “Their version of the resistance they met will be needed, too.”
“Okay.” Daniel found the people he needed. They all sat in the den, and Geodin and Seldon took Daniel through what sounded like a short meeting with an arrogant human.
“We took them all as prisoners of war,” Seldon finally said.
Daniel gaped. “Where are they now?”
“Held in a safe house with Guards stationed.”
Prisoners of war? Daniel barely knew what to do with that information. “That’s gonna piss off the human government.”
“No more than this should piss off the Prince of the West Kingdom.” Geodin handed Daniel a folder. “This was in the Assistant Secretary’s possession. It’s the terms they wanted to deal us instead of honoring our current treaty stating that the Colonel and Lieutenant behind the attack be handed over to us to face Cubi trial.”
Her expression did not bode well, and Daniel reluctantly took the file to skim over.
“An immediate halt in population growth, Changelings included, and reduce immigration rights of Cubi? Can they do that?” Daniel asked.
“No,” Elakdon said. “This nation is not a nation under or in a nation but a nation sharing a nation.”
“That’s not the only problem,” Geodin said apologetically. “Once Daniel can take over and be crowned King, we’d be a completely new sovereign nation who has to renegotiate the terms again.”
“Thirty to fifty years from now,” Elakdon mumbled, rubbing his chin in thought.
“Do I have to be a green-eye in order to be crowned King?” Daniel asked, thinking that problem could be eradicated quickly.
“No, but all Cubi Councils and Royals agree on that level because it’s the age around when we’d expect a Cubus to have reached a mental maturity and experience with the world,” Elakdon said.
“State of emergency, here,” Daniel said, waving the insulting file. “It’s not like I don’t have qualified people around me.” Daniel pointed to the three Grand Council members and Seldon and Caledon.
“Problem is you can veto them once crowned,” Elakdon said. “That has happened the one time someone was crowned early, and the rest of the Kingdoms had to move in and remove that King.”
“What happened to the people of that Kingdom?” Daniel asked, remembering that Larkdin had claimed no Royal Cubus had ever gone to war with another.
“All Kingdoms took an equal part to govern until such a time a new Royal was born to that area. Then it was slowly given back as the new Queen rose to power, and upon reaching green-eyes, Nil-Sundin was crowned the sovereign ruler of the Kingdom at the size it was before.”
“Let me get this straight, Cubi Kingdoms don’t battle each other for land.”
“No, and we aid each other in running it because we are for the people, not the other way around.”
“So the problem here is…” Daniel motioned for them to fill in the blank.
“The problem here is that dethroning someone would take a new treaty with the humans, and your Kingdom would lose sovereign rights. It’s a new world. This was possible seven hundred years ago, but not now.”
“Although.” Geodin batted her eyes at her uncle.
“It looks like my niece is trying to veto something.” The King didn’t look defeated yet, but Daniel welcomed the humorous intermission.
“If we are at war, now is the time to let a new King rise to take your place,” she said. “If we go through this war and come out with only our demands met and a new truce, then we may only have thirty or fifty years before Beaudon reaches the a
ge of crowning, and then we start over having to negotiate a new treaty. Plus, I know Beaudon better than you, and Grand Sire Seldon knows him best of all. What do you think?” Geodin turned her gaze on Seldon who looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
“I think he’s way too young to be Sovereign,” Seldon said. Daniel grumbled under his breath. “But.” Seldon pointed at Daniel and gave him that don’t be disrespectful look. “I also think he’s open enough to wisdom to not pose a threat like Ahlak-Nol.”
“Ahlak?” Daniel ran through his still sparse knowledge of Cubi vocabulary.
“Fallen. The Fallen King,” Caledon said.
“I thought damal meant falling.”
“Yes, but it’s more of a translation of fallen from grace. Means you’ve lost your honor.”
“Look, the way the humans fiddle around with this like they’re the rulers of us, why do we care if they don’t know that I submit to a majority vote of my Council? I’ll even put my veto in question until I’m a green-eye so that if I really disagree enough to want to veto, it’ll be to call in Nol-Elakdon as a third opinion.”
“You would trust me with insight into your Kingdom?” Elakdon asked, looking touched.
“I’m at war and trust you with the very future of my Kingdom, which is yours at the moment. In regards to the veto, it’ll just be like it is now where your word is final.”
“Well, we do share the Kingdom at the moment, I am only the official ruler until you’re crowned.” Elakdon stared at Daniel for a long moment, thinking. He then looked at Seldon and Caledon. “As the right and left hand of the Prince, would you support his relinquish of veto to mean a third-party hearing until he rises to the Cubi level of sovereignty?”
Seldon and Caledon left their seats and met up in the corner of the room and mumbled quietly. They then stepped back.
“A few details regarding whether or not one of us agrees with his veto, then yes, we find it something that can be worked out so that he can be crowned the sovereign ruler of the Kingdom of the West as a red-eye,” Seldon said.
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