CHAPTER
* * *
“Well, that was a colossal waste of fucking energy.”
Scowling, Chet inched back toward his hole-for-a-bed’s window. After the others had gone to bed, he’d decided to do some investigating. Specifically, that of the castle’s perimeter, sidling along the ledge that circled the keep’s exterior wall. The guards had untied them when they locked them in for the night, so he’d figured why not make use of his free hands. Do a bit of recon on the fortress’ outer structure, in search of any and all potential escape routes.
His efforts had been fruitless, though. All that fucking ledge provided was a precarious, four-inch path to other windows. Granted, had those windows been to anything besides other sleep-holes, his outing wouldn’t have been such a fail. But they hadn’t, and since every single sleep-hole was occupied, access to them was pretty fucking worthless.
Talk about an interesting expedition though, fuck. As he’d shimmied past each opening, he’d had to crouch down, lest the residents spot his ass and turn him in. Problem was, those residents hadn’t merely been sitting there, conversing about world affairs over tea. Hell the fuck no, they’d been rutting like mad dogs. Growling and snarling, clawed hands braced on the windows, as their bang buddies slammed them from behind.
He’d spotted some Súrah in a few of those holes, too, as well as some other species he didn’t recognize. One had a tail. Another, wings. A third had suspect spikes down his back. Suspect in the sense that each thick, upturned tine looked not only flesh-covered, but veiny.
Admittedly, Chet had paused to watch that specific couple romp, convinced those things were more than just barbs. As luck would have it—for once—the males were facing away, offering up one seriously unobstructed view. And sure enough, as the Kríe gripped those thick spikes like handles—tugging on them roughly as he fucked—the curved tips had straightened, then turned bright red, with those little veins bulging in stark relief. The big Kríe had chuckled. The spiked male quaked. All while Chet peeked in from outside their window, teetering as he struggled to adjust his boner.
Friggin’ kinky aliens.
God, he needed to get laid.
Muttering under his breath, Chet climbed back inside and flopped down on his back atop the bed. Discouraged, he stared at the low, stucco ceiling, brooding over the findings of his mission. Specifically, how it confirmed what he’d hoped wasn’t true; that a night escape via the windows was totally impossible. Not because there weren’t means to climb to the ground, though—no steps or ladders or conveniently protruding bricks. Hell, they could rig makeshift ropes no fucking problem. The issue was how to scale that thirty-foot protective wall with a top patrolled by vigilant guards.
Thing was, even if they did manage to get over the huge barrier, a second, even bigger quandary still awaited them. One that had presented itself much more evidently tonight as Chet had peered out at the mountains. Or rather, at the skyline’s countless sentry watch points, each post clearly marked by blazing torches. Chet had groaned when he spotted them. There was easily one every fifty yards. God only knew how many more guards were in stealth mode.
The king wasn’t playing around. His realm was seriously fortified. Meaning escape was going to be even harder than Chet had anticipated.
He clenched his jaw and glared, all his anger resurfacing. Part of him still couldn’t believe they were in this mess. His glower deepened. Fucking Gesh. This was all his fault. His, and all his dick-for-brains pack mates.
Roni’s irritating face pushed to the forefront of his mind. His scowl intensified but then downshifted to a frown. A contemplative one, as he thought about the fucker. Was Roni even trying to find a way to get them out? Working with Gesh at all to fix their fuck-up? Or were Chet and his team totally on their own, already gone and purged from Roni’s thoughts?
Chet’s stomach clenched at the prospect of Roni dumping him like trash.
No. That dick still thought about him. Chet knew he did. The way Roni scrapped with those guards in the merchant hall? He’d wanted their sale withdrawn just as badly as Gesh, had looked furious when the king hadn’t allowed it.
Man, how Roni had brought it, giving those Kríe one serious beat down, until a triad of them finally took him out. Three of those fuckers it’d taken to stop him. And every single one was as big as him.
Truth be told, it’d been beautiful, the way he brawled like a beast. A sight that got Chet all fired up, too. Unfortunately, his efforts hadn’t amounted to much. His hands had been tied, for shit’s fucking sake, to a rope pulled way too snug between his thighs.
Chet exhaled and scrubbed his face, then palmed his crew cut and closed his eyes. But the visual of Roni fighting still remained.
“Fuck,” he muttered. He didn’t want to think about him, but the stupid scene kept looping in his brain. Which, in turn, kept things pumping too fast in his chest. A hot, swirling mixing pot of emotions. Anger, frustration, restless apprehension.
He also sensed some residual excitement. Something that irked him, since it spawned from images of Roni. But on the flip side, it helped to quell some of his ire. Because all those charged memories of the asshole tearing shit up reminded Chet of the time they faced off. In the woods, after the pack had taken those three flyers down, when Roni had brazenly challenged him and Chet had accepted.
He growled at the memory. Balled his hands against his head. A part of him wanted to rumble with Roni again. He may be an asshole, a smug son of a bitch, but that Kríe was also one hell of a challenge. And Chet loved his challenges. Craved worthy one-on-ones. Which wasn’t to say wrestling with Alec earlier wasn’t invigorating. But next to Roni? Yeah, no comparison.
He groaned and dropped his fists, remembering what happened at the end of their scuffle. Specifically, when Roni bit his neck. His pulse quickened just thinking about it. He absently rubbed the site. His body had been so frantic. Frantic to bury his raging boner into something. Preferably something tight. And hot. And slick.
A shudder rolled through him.
“Shit,” he breathed, rocking his hips.
His eyes slid closed. Below the waist, his hard-on thrummed. He clutched his junk and tried to squeeze it into submission, but the memory had already spread through his system.
Goddamnit.
Now he was horny and wanted to whack off.
But he wouldn’t. Fucking refused.
Not in this state of mind.
Not when all he’d be thinking about was Roni.
* * *
“Would you like me to touch you?”
Alec groaned and looked down. Zercy sat between his knees, his mouth way too close to Alec’s cock. He was having that dream again, and the only reason he knew was because he’d had the same one for five nights straight. Ever since the king straight-up lost it on the rooftop, then offered Alec a handjob on his bed. He couldn’t explain it, but the phenomenon remained, this dream set on repeat in his head.
With every one, Alec found himself deep in the jungle, alone, with not a single soul in sight. Likewise, in each sequence he’d been tied to a tree, but unlike with Gesh, he wasn’t sitting in the dirt. Instead, his ass rested on a big, fat, downed log laying flush against the very trunk detaining him. Acting, for all intents, like the seat of a chair with his toes barely touching the ground.
But then, just like every single episode before, the king would emerge from the brush. Eyes glittering, he’d saunter over and sink to his haunches, positioning his naked body in front of Alec’s.
Alec shifted atop the log, wearing nothing but his loincloth, snared like every time before by Zercy’s gaze.
The king smiled a little. His husky timbre dipped. “Would you like me to touch you?” he repeated.
Fuuuck. Instant boner. Alec’s dick bucked on cue, exactly as it’d done the last five times. Fortunately, in all dreams prior, he’d managed to say no, somehow finding the strength to turn Zercy down.
But with each consecutive invite, it’d grown harder to do, which naturally made Alec really freaking wary. How much longer could he resist before he finally just let go? Before his willpower buckled and he gave in? Already, his hard-on was trying to come out and play, pushing as much as it could against its wrap.
Heart pounding, he swallowed.
Zercy stared at him hungrily. “Tell me,” he rumbled. “Would you like me to touch you?” He clutched Alec’s knees and pushed them apart.
Alec’s nuts tightened. His boner throbbed. God, he wanted this so bad. Zercy’s big, hot, clawed hand around his dick. Like it’d been in Sirus’ workshop, all making him crazy. Only now he wasn’t blindfolded, and if he said yes, he could watch.
But shit, he really shouldn’t.
Zercy palmed his inner thighs.
Alec’s cock shot straight up, harder than steel.
Screw it. This was nothing but a stupid-ass dream. Maybe if he gave in, it’d finally stop.
Aaaand there went the last of his paper-thin restraint.
Quickly, he nodded.
The king grinned. “Say it.”
“Yes,” Alec rasped. “I want you to.”
“Want me to what?”
Fuck, he couldn’t believe he was saying this. “To touch me.”
Zercy loosed a small growl and ran his splayed hands toward Alec’s groin. “Where, Alick? Tell me.”
Alec’s pulse shot sky high. “On my dick,” he blurted. “Please. I need you to touch my fucking dick.”
His tormentor chuckled. “Suddenly so impatient.” He reached for Alec’s loincloth and parted the strips of fabric, creating an opening right where it counted. Alec tensed, breaths quickening, but didn’t say a word. Zercy slid his fingers inside and clutched Alec’s package.
“Shit,” Alec breathed.
Zercy purred and pulled it free, clutching his balls in one hand, his cock in the other. “Tah,” he rumbled. “My pet is so ready. So ready to spill for his king.”
Alec’s hips bucked against his will. He cursed and fought to steady them, his dick flat-out howling in Zercy’s grip. But it wasn’t easy; Zercy’s touch was like some high-octane drug. One he needed more of right now.
The king chuffed and subtly tightened his grip. “Like this, pet?” he murmured.
Alec’s junk went nuts. He nodded. “Yeah, like that. Oh, fuck. Jack me.”
“Jack you?” Zercy’s gaze hooded. “What does that mean?”
Alec moaned. Did he really have to frickin’ explain? Surely, the Kríe could deduce. Screw it. Whatever. He thrust against Zercy’s hand. Pleasure surged down his shaft. “Ungh… It means stroke me.”
Zercy rumbled. “Hmm, I see.” His grip remained still. “And at what speed would you like me to go?”
“Fast,” Alec ground out.
“How fast? Show your king.”
Shit. For real?
Alec cursed and pulled his knees up, propping his feet on the log for better leverage. He thrust into Zercy’s fist again. Bliss exploded, briefly distracting him. He moaned once more, shivering, then forced himself to focus, rolling out a quick demonstration. His pelvis rocked upward in swift repetition, pushing and pulling his dick through Zercy’s grip.
“Like that,” he gasped. “Fuck…” His hips thrust again.
The king growled heatedly. But then he furrowed his brows. “If I grip you like this… and stroke you like that…” He shook his head. “Too much dry friction.”
He squeezed and tugged upward.
“Uh!” Alec jerked. “What the fuck?”
Zercy frowned. “Your hard cock… it gives no lubrication.”
“What?” Alec shuddered through a scowl. “Yeah, it does...” He looked at his dick. A drop of precum glistened. “There. Some fucking lube.” Case in point.
Zercy grunted incredulously. “You consider that lubrication?” He shook his head and reached for his own rigid cock. His bicep and shoulder flexed, then he reclaimed Alec’s dick, clutching its crown with five coated fingers. Again, his grip stayed stationary. “Show me now,” he commanded.
Without thinking, Alec obeyed with another eager thrust, shoving through a fist of warm lube. Ecstasy assailed him. His eyes briefly closed. “Fuck, yeah,” he moaned.
So slick and tight…
Zercy’s timbre dropped an octave. “Tah. Now do that many times.”
Lost in sensation, Alec complied yet again. Steadily, he pistoned his hips forward and back. His lips parted, his breaths shallowing as he plunged into heaven, watching his glans emerge and disappear. Bursting through the top of Zercy’s strong, dark grip, a glossy crown popping in and out of view.
Oh, God. Felt so good.
Zercy watched with smoldering eyes. “Tah, Alick. So handsome. Do not stop.”
Alec didn’t fucking plan to. Hell, his hips were driving themselves.
Pressure mounted. He moaned, helplessly trapped in Zercy’s gaze. But then the king loosened his grip. Like he knew Alec was close and wanted to stave off the inevitable.
Alec groaned, shifting his feet atop the log as he thrust. “No—Grip me tighter—C’mon, please—Wanna come—”
Zercy rumbled. “So soon?” He sounded reluctant.
Alec’s heart raced. His chest heaved. “Yes—” he panted. “Shit—Please—”
A low, heady thumping sound filled the jungle’s quiet. “Very well.” Zercy strengthened his slippery hold. “Would you like to spill on your chest… or in my mouth?”
Alec’s hips bucked like a bronco, his brain nailed with both visuals. Zercy lapping his spattered nipples. Zercy sucking his dick. Pleasure roared through his crotch and up his shaft.
“I dunno—” he gasped. His body shook. “Shit—So fucking close—”
“Tah,” the king growled, incinerating him with his stare. “I can feel your cock throbbing in my hand.”
Alec moaned, fists clenching against the tree at his back. “Almost there—” he panted raggedly, pelvis rocking fast and furious. “Oh my God, Kríe—Holy shit—Feels so good—”
“Del`ahtchay.” Delicious. “Do not stop, pet. Keep going.”
Alec’s mind spun, rapture raging through his groin and into his ass. Restlessly, he nodded, his hips kicking like mad. “Yeah—” he grated. “Fuck, yeah—Aw, God—Need to come—”
Zercy’s grip abruptly tightened.
Alec gasped, eyes slamming shut. “Shit, Kríe—Shit—” He undulated feverishly. His dick was going to bust so effing hard.
Schlick—schlick—schlick— as he fucked that fixed hand.
Zercy loosed another growl.
Current surged, then ignited, blitzing the living shit out of Alec’s junk.
He could feel himself fragmenting—
His heels dug into the log—
A heartbeat later, he arched. “Ungh! Shit! Coming!”
His hips bucked erratically. Tight, wet heat locked onto his glans. And as his nuts furiously unloaded, a muffled snarl resounded. Not that it registered much—Alec was far too distracted, rocketing like a missile toward the stars…
Long, jumbled, incoherent moments later, his brain finally came back online. Except, when he finally opened his eyes, he wasn’t in the jungle. Breathless and groggy, he regarded the low ceiling—then froze in realization. He’d been so caught up in that self-imposed handjob that he totally forgot he’d been dreaming. Dick sated and humming, he warily turned his head.
Oh, God.
Zercy.
Quietly watching him. Head resting on his bent elbow. Gold eyes hooded.
Alec’s heart tripped in his chest, disquieted by the king’s expression. All affectionate and low-key possessive. Shifting atop the furs, Alec swallowed, still catching his breath. His post-O haze was making it hard to concentrate.
He cleared his throat. “I…” But his train of thought faltered.
Zercy’s lips curved a smidge. “You are welcome.”
Huh? Alec frowned. He was welcome? “For what?”
The king’s amused chuff sounded morning-groggy, too. “Ochay.” Funny. His eyes gleamed. “You proved me wrong.”
Oh, hell. Should he ask?
“About what?” Alec rasped.
Zercy gave a little smirk. “My Alick is not a prude. Likes his fun.”
Alec’s mouth dropped open.
Oh, crap.
A cool breeze wafted over his junk. He glanced down, then instantly tensed up all over again. Not only was his clockwork morning wood wet and limp, but completely out of its loincloth’s confines. Even his nuts were fully exposed as if he’d manually pulled them free.
But he hadn’t.
His hands were still tied behind his back.
A shiver of dread rolled up his spine.
No. No way. All that shit had been a dream. Just a stupid fucking dream. Right?
Right??
His eyes anxiously darted between the king and his dick. Zercy’s hand had felt exceptionally real in that jungle... And now his gaze did look suspiciously pleased.
Alec’s body went taut. Had that mother effer groped him? Fondled his goods while he slept? He frowned, then sighed. No, the king wasn’t like that and, truthfully, seemed genuinely oblivious. Not a trace of foul play in those big auric eyes. Not an ounce of dubious intent in his vibe. And while Alec didn’t know the specifics of what exactly went down, Zercy clearly thought that Alec had been awake. Thing was, the only reason he’d even get that impression was if Alec had been talking…
“Oh, God,” he groaned. The stuff he’d said in his dream… Had he said all that shit out loud, too?
Son of a bitch. His brain had been hijacked by his traitor-ass dick. Although, he supposed that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Since they’d gotten there, he hadn’t been able to jerk off even once. Something that normally wouldn’t be a problem, except that ‘normally’ he wasn’t constantly around Zercy. And in Alec’s defense, that big fucking Kríe was proving to be one seriously formidable stimulant.
But for that to drive him to sleepwalking? Or more accurately, sleep-messing around? The king must really be getting under his skin.
Zercy frowned at Alec’s expression. Studied his face. Looked him over. “What has happened? What is wrong with you?” He clearly sensed Alec’s stress, which Alec appreciated, but the situation still sucked.
Stomach twisting, he shook his head, hardly ready to speak.
Zercy continued to watch him.
Alec’s heart pounded warily. He needed to ask ‘the question,’ but a part of him didn’t want to know the answer. It’d drive him bat-shit crazy if he didn’t find out, though. Might as well bite the goddamn bullet.
Steeling his resolve, he drew in a breath. “What just… Fuck, what just happened?”
Zercy cocked his head, looking amused, but mostly confused. “You want me to recapitulate?”
Alec shifted awkwardly. “Yeah… But maybe cover me up first.”
The king quirked a brow, then shook his head and propped himself higher on his elbow. “Humans. So peculiar. Or perhaps it is just you.”
Alec fought back a scowl.
Zercy, in turn, tamped a grin, causally pulling a fur over Alec’s crotch. “You woke me with your pleas,” he began, meeting Alec’s gaze, “imploring me to touch you. To make you spill.”
Alec’s heart tripped. Every ounce of blood drained from his face.
Zercy must have considered his speechlessness a prompt to continue. “You were breathing so heavily. It quickly aroused me.” He ran his hand atop the soft pelt covering Alec’s hip. “At first, I did not understand when you said, ‘I want you to.’ So I asked, ‘Want me to what?’”
Alec groaned, remembered all too fucking how he’d replied.
“You said you wanted me to touch you. On your dick. You said please.” He dragged his small claws down the fur on Alec’s thigh. “You sounded so desperate for me to ease you.”
Alec shivered, his brain trying to dive back to dreamland, to plug back into his little jungle fantasy.
The king rumbled softly, as if reliving the moment, too. “So I freed your eager cock and clutched it in my hand. You were already so hard... So close to spending.”
Alec’s heart pounded faster. It was true. He had been close.
“From there,” Zercy went on, “you took what you needed… Eyes closed, skin flushed as you greedily fucked my hand, emitting the most decadent noises…”
Alec groaned in mortification.
Zercy paused with a frown. Must have detected a spike in Alec’s anxiety. “You are sending strange signals. What is wrong with you now?”
Hell. Should he even try to explain? If he didn’t, it would leave Zercy to believe he’d truly wanted it. Which wasn’t to say he hadn’t, but only in his dream.
Shifting his gaze to the ceiling, Alec swallowed. “I… wasn’t awake.”
Zercy quieted. Time stood still. Then, abruptly, he laughed, the sound so rich and deep—and utterly genuine. “More jokes… Peculiar human.”
“I’m serious,” Alec muttered. Heat crawled up his neck. “The shit I said… I was… talking in my sleep.”
Again, the king went silent. Did that mean he finally believed him? Alec turned his head—and frowned. The Kríe was eyeing him wryly, in a way that said he thought Alec was kidding.
Smirking, Zercy leaned in and nuzzled Alec’s ear. “In your sleep?” Ugh. He was ‘playing along.’ Alec could hear it in his tone. “So this means my Alick dreams about me, too?”
“No!” Alec blurted. Total lie, but what could he do? “I was just fucking sleeping. It wasn’t real.”
“Ah. I see.” Zercy still wasn’t buying it.
Alec fumed. “You know what? Just forget it.”
Zercy’s next chuff was laced with a hint of endearment. “I do not understand why you are angry.”
Alec exhaled and frowned at his soft, happy dick. “Because you made me come again.”
“Tah. I did. You were beautiful.”
Alec’s insides clenched. He looked at Zercy. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
The king’s small smile vanished. “Why? You enjoyed it.”
“Ugh. Really, Kríe? You can’t figure it out?”
Zercy stiffened, brows furrowing. He suddenly looked offended. “No, I cannot. I cannot figure it out. You asked me to touch you, so touch you I did. As a result, you spilled like a sensuous young god. Now you are eased, and I am quenched. I do not understand how that is bad.”
Alec blinked, derailed by Zercy’s unexpected take. Specifically, his little reference to Alec’s orgasm. “You thought I spilled like… a sensuous young god?”
“Tah. You were captivating. I could not look away.”
Wow. No one had ever given him a compliment like that. The way Zercy regarded him… It shouldn’t make Alec want to smile. But it did. In a way that made him nervous.
Another of the king’s sentiments rebounded in his mind. Alec froze. “Whoa. Wait. How exactly are you quenched?”
Zercy’s small smirk returned. “How else but with drink?”
Alec’s jaw went slack, recalling a certain beverage Kríe liked. He glanced at his chest, then the king’s chest, then the furs. Nope. Not one single drop of cum.
Son of a bitch. That tight, wet heat around his glans when he unloaded? That’d been Zercy’s mouth, catching every spurt. Alec’s gaze dropped to Zercy’s lips. He probably should be pissed, but instead all he felt was disappointment. Disappointment that he hadn’t gotten to watch.
And how seriously fucked up was that?
Zercy stared at him intently, as if trying to read his mind. Eventually, he just grunted and sat up. “Your actions confuse me. Your words are no better. When I give you what you ask for, it upsets you.”
Alec frowned, finally realizing how nonsensical he must seem. If he were Zercy, he’d be exasperated, too.
Again, he tried to explain. “But I wasn’t really asking for it. Whether you believe me or not, I was dreaming.”
Zercy turned his head and looked at him.
Alec averted his gaze. “I hadn’t meant to do that… with you.”
Even as he said it, he could taste the blatant lie. He had really been asking for it, and he’d definitely meant to do it—very fucking specifically with Zercy. He just couldn’t admit it. Not to the king, and not to himself. He refused to fucking go there. Just wasn’t an option.
The silence turned glaring.
He glanced back at Zercy, instantly noting the king’s unsettled expression.
He met Alec’s gaze. “If what you say is true, I apologize. That is not the way I want things between us.”
Alec shifted atop the covers, feeling partially to blame. “Okay,” he muttered. “Let’s just… not do that again.”
Zercy nodded in compliance, but then canted his head and eyed him. “But why? It is obvious you like to spill. Is it because I am Kríe? A species dominant to your own?”
Alec coughed and rolled his eyes. “No. And no.”
“Then why?”
Alec averted his gaze. “You’re my captor.”
“Is that the only reason?”
Ale didn’t answer. Didn’t want to get into specifics. These days the specifics were too ambiguous. Too blurred around the edges. No longer defined.
“Alick…” Zercy gently gripped Alec’s chin and turned his head. “Is that the only reason?”
Alec met his gaze, his heart pounding anxiously in his chest. “No,” he rasped. “It’s not.” He struggled for the words, words to an explanation that no longer added up. “I’m not gay,” he finally stated. “I have sex with females. Before Miros I’d never had sex with another… male.”
Zercy stared at him blankly. “Gay? Females? Male? I do not understand any of these terms.”
“Because you only have one gender in your species. Ours has two. Males and females. And most males of my species, the version with dicks, are attracted and like to fuck females.”
Zercy thought on that for a while, clearly trying to understand the concept. “Most,” he finally repeated. He looked at Alec. “But not all?”
Alec shifted atop the covers, stomach clenching. “No. Not all. Those who fuck other males are gay. But I… I’m not gay... I like… females.”
“Hmm.” Zercy pondered again. “So you do not prefer the version with dicks…”
Last month, Alec would’ve given him a resounding hell no, but now…
“No,” he muttered, hating the convoluted lie in his mouth. He didn’t understand. When had things changed?
Zercy nodded, clearly still grappling with the concept. Which Alec got. His behavior with the king was probably misleading. Especially with what just happened a few minutes ago.
Long moments ticked by. Finally, Zercy turned and regarded him, a strange little glint in his gold eyes.
Alec fidgeted. “Is there a problem?”
“Mah, but… who were you speaking to?”
Alec frowned. Speaking to? “When?”
“In your dream. Who was touching you?”
Alec’s gut clenched. Uh-oh. “I don’t know.” More lies on his tongue. “I kept my eyes closed. Never saw them.”
Zercy’s tone dipped coolly. “Not even a glimpse?”
Alec shook his head.
“But they were definitely female?”
“Uh…Yeah.” Alec nodded.
Zercy’s jaw ticked. He narrowed his eyes. “Then why did I hear you call them Kríe?”
Aw, shit.
Alec scrambled for a logical explanation. “Uh… Well, because I…”
The king watched him closely. When Alec continued to flounder, Zercy smirked a little and eased. “You are lying. There was no female. You were dreaming of me.”
Alec stiffened. “No, I wasn’t.”
The king’s grin widened. “Tah. You were.” Dropping back onto the furs, he shoved his hands behind his head. “You were dreaming of me and begging me to touch you.”
“What—I didn’t beg!”
Zercy chuckled. “Tah, you did. I believe your exact words were—”
“Okay! Whatever!”
The king loosed another of those rare, robust laughs.
Alec scowled and looked away, but deep down inside, a part of him savored the happy sound. That, and the fact he’d played a part in eliciting it. Yeah, okay, so it’d happened at his expense, but he still couldn’t help enjoying the hearty rumble.
For several long moments, they laid in silence, the atmosphere feeling easier than normal. Because they’d unwittingly connected on an intimate level? Alec really fucking hoped not. That’d bring nothing but problems.
Screw it. He’d blame the feeling on endorphins.
Abruptly, the door chime reverberated through the room, swiftly turning the light air to heavy. Alec felt the change immediately, the king’s mental shift palpable, like an oppressive weight just dropped on the guy.
Zercy exhaled and sat back up, all seriousness returning. “It is time, Alick, to face another day.”