22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

An ill-timed invitation.

Sitting on a metal stool next to my workstation, I grabbed my screen and began to work on the roses. My claws clacked on the glass, and the world disappeared. It was easy to lose myself in my work, and time passed in a blur of numbers and tweaks.

Cold trailed up my spine, then across my shoulder blades before trailing down my sides in his usual pattern, making me shiver. I turned around, and Caleb stood behind me.

“My Caleb, you’re back.”

“Yep.”

“I missed you.” My wings rustled on my back, and I glanced down at my screen. I hadn’t intended to say those words, and yet, they were the truth. I’d missed him. Terribly.

A chill brushed my chin, and I looked up. His fingers drifted over my scales. “I missed you too.”

I opened my legs, and Caleb stepped in between them, then I enclosed him in my wings. This scene would be odd to anyone besides me, but I didn’t care.

“I have a plan for our outing.”

“Date,” he said in human speech, then his eyelids lowered. “I’m looking forward to it.”

The heated look sent a jolt straight to my cock, and it twitched. I longed for the things Kalvoxrencol had spoken of. If I’d had the opportunity, what would touching Caleb have been like? What sounds would he have made? At the mere thought of his warm hole wrapped around me as I slid in and out of him, my cock filled and pushed at the fabric of my trousers.

“Hmm,” Caleb said, pink tongue licking his lips. “You have thought of it.”

I cleared my throat. “I hadn’t thought of that particular aspect, as we haven’t discussed those permissions.”

“Then what’s going on?” he asked. When I didn’t respond, Caleb smirked. “Does my presence alone make you aroused?”

“Yes,” I replied, refusing to be embarrassed about my need for my mate.

“That’s so fucking beautiful. If I could, I’d be hard, Sunshine. Just for you.” His fingers crested my forehead before moving over my hair. For the barest moment, I felt him. Not the coldness of his soul, but the true feeling of him—pressure moving the strands of my hair. Foolish, I knew, and yet I couldn’t banish the sentiment. It had probably been the wind. Nothing more. Yet I longed for his touch.

Caleb’s fingers drifted over my scales in cool waves. Each one sent rapid-fire tingles through my body. By the light of the Crystal, I had never experienced anything like it before. No partner had ever inspired such passion within me from true touches, let alone whispers that barely existed.

“Caleb,” I groaned.

A cold brush on the tip of my cock made me fight back a moan.

“I like seeing you like this,” Caleb said.

Slowly, his fingers slid up and down my shaft still trapped in my trousers. I had to fight to remain silent. I didn’t need my shouting to bring any guards or servants. Such a thought didn’t calm my ardor in the slightest. I didn’t care who saw me or saw what Caleb did to me.

“Perhaps,” he started, voice husky, “we should go to your room before our date and have that conversation.”

“I agree.”

“Zoltilvoxfyn,” a cheerful voice called, and I swallowed a snarl. Serlotminden. I acknowledged him with a flick of my tail before facing the workstation to hide my raging erection.

Serlotminden was four cycles older than I was. He and our other brother, Dontilvynsan, had left right after Kalvoxrencol reaffirmed his mating to Seth. Unlike Dontilvynsan who had military duties to attend to, Serlotminden came and went as he pleased when he was between diplomatic assignments and shuttle races, and apparently, he’d come back.

“We’ll finish later,” Caleb murmured in my ear, and I fought a protest. I throbbed in need of him, but at the same time, I wasn’t prepared to tell Serlotminden about Caleb and me.

“How was your latest race?” I asked, claws clicking on my screen, though I paid no attention to what I was doing.

“Ninth,” he replied, touseling my hair. “Not too bad.”

Much like me, Serlotminden had pure-white hair, though his was shaved on one side. He shared the green eyes of our mother, and the wide forehead and strong chin of our father. His scales were dark purple while slips of white and gold skin peeked around them. His tapered ears were threaded with gold chains and a single ring pierced his bottom lip.

“Why are all of you so attractive?” Caleb asked from my side, and I frowned, chest rumbling with a possessive growl. He whispered against my ear, “You’re the most gorgeous, though.”

I swallowed.

“Zoltilvoxfyn?” Serlotminden asked.

I jerked. “My apologies.”

“Not a problem. Kalvoxrencol told me you had a human spirit with you.” Serlotminden waved in a general direction of the garden, not even near where Caleb hovered by my side. “Hello, human. I am Serlotminden. Third prince, the attractive one, shuttle racer, and the great romantic of the royal family.”

I scoffed, but Caleb laughed. “He’s funny.”

Unhappily I related what Caleb said, and Serlotminden preened like a bird in mating season. Kalvoxrencol and Serlotminden both had had many romances over the cycles—the most of any of us. Kalvoxrencol, though, wasn’t as annoying in his antics when he pursued someone, unlike Serlotminden.

“I’m Caleb. Human, wandering soul, and the most clumsy person you will ever meet.”

Serlotminden grinned. “I like you.”

“The feeling is mutual,” my mate replied with an equally wide grin.

I fought a frown, but I was unsuccessful.

Serlotminden asked, “Are you well?”

“Perfectly fine,” I replied through gritted teeth.

“You’re lying,” Caleb said, brushing my hair. “What’s wrong? Sunshine, are you sick? Do you need to go to the doctor? We should—”

“What’s going on?” Serlotminden asked, unknowingly talking over Caleb. “Are you having a bad day? Shall we do something together? I can take you flying in my shuttle.” He gripped my shoulder while his tail wrapped around mine. “We can grab Kalvoxrencol and Seth. It would be fun.”

My lips opened to say no, but Caleb bounced by my side, brushing Serlotminden and making him shiver. “That would be so fun.”

“The spirit is standing a lot closer than I thought,” Serlotminden remarked, rubbing his arm.

“Caleb,” I corrected. “His name is Caleb.”

Serlotminden gave me his throat. “You are correct. My mistake, Caleb.”

“Not a big deal.” Caleb asked me, “Can we go?”

Resigned, I said, “Caleb and I would love to go.”

“Can he? I thought most spirits didn’t wander very far.”

Chuckling, Caleb said, “You’re in for a shock.”

“Caleb is a unique soul,” I said before telling Serlotminden about my mate, my voice growing more animated with each word. When I finally stopped, I looked at my older brother who watched me. I cleared my throat and turned toward Caleb. He caressed my cheek, and I released a low moan, unable to help myself.

“I would like to get to know Caleb. If you will allow me,” Serlotminden asked.

Part of me insisted I deny him. Caleb getting to know my handsome, charming older brother almost felt like a threat, even though there wasn’t one. I wanted to keep my mate to myself, but that wasn’t right. Controlling Caleb was wrong, and I wouldn’t do that disservice to my mate.

“I would like that,” Caleb said, and I related it to Serlotminden begrudgingly.

“Hmm,” my older brother said, studying me. “I shall retrieve Kalvoxrencol and Seth. Will you meet us at the port?”

“Yes.”

When he disappeared into the palace, Caleb said, “I’m excited.”

I opened my legs for him to stand between, and once again, I surrounded him with my wings. “Haven’t you been on a shuttle?”

“Of course. But this will be fun.”

“It will,” I replied, keeping my face blank.

Caleb’s smile dimmed, and it shredded my soul to see him upset. “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong? You’ve been…” He stopped, shaking his head. “What’s going on?”

Two different paths lay before me: lie to my mate or be honest to him. I refused to be dishonest with the one I wished to share my life with. “I’m jealous.”

His head cocked to the side, allowing me to see his cute, round ear through his brown curls. “Jealous? You’re jealous? That’s it? It’s not me? What do you have to be jealous of?”

“My older brother. You liked him.”

He blinked, then started laughing. Needles poked my soul. Foolish. I was beyond foolish for confessing such. Caleb and I were together, but from what Kalvoxrencol said, he might not even view our relationship the same way. Caleb and I courting might mean nothing to him, and it was idiotic of me to have, let alone admit such emotions.

A cold brush made me look up. Caleb rested his fingers against my chin. “No, Sunshine. Don’t do that. I can see you pulling away from me. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not laughing at you. I swear. I wouldn’t laugh at you. Well, I would, but not in a mean way.”

I didn’t respond.

“I want to get to know Serlotminden because he’s your brother. No other reason. I mean, he seems nice and everything, but mainly, it’s because he’s your family. I want to know them because I’m with you, Fyn. We’re courting. We’re boyfriends. Your family is important to you, so they’re important to me.”

Heat rushed under my scales. My wings rustled, attempting to gather Caleb close, but they slid through him. “My Caleb.”

“We don’t have to go.”

“No,” I said. “You want to, and I know Seth would enjoy spending more time with you, as would my brothers.”

“I don’t want anyone else besides you. I promise.”

My soul jolted, racing in my chest, but the pleasant heat turned into something frigid. “Because I alone can see you.”

“No, Zoltilvoxfyn,” Caleb said. “I like you because you are you. I was attracted to you from the first time I saw you. You were so pretty when you stepped out of the greenhouse. You wiped dirt on your cheek.” He brushed my cheekbone. “Right here. It was adorable. You make me laugh. You make me happy. You make me alive, Sunshine.” He bit his lip. “I mean, if you hadn’t been able to see me, I would have stalked you. No. I don’t mean that. I mean, I do. Cause I would have. I swear I’m not being weird.”

I swallowed as Caleb continued to ramble about how he would have stalked me, in a non-disturbing fashion.

Caleb took a deep breath, stalling his rapid speech. “I like you. That’s what I’m saying. I like you for you. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“Good.” His fingers roved over my face. “When we get back, we should go on our date.”

“I would like that.” Unable to stop myself, I growled, “You are mine, Caleb, and I will not let you go.”

“Sounds good to me.”