Prodigal Son Returns
Lex
There is a commotion that evening when an unexpect guest arrives at Castle Blackmoor. No one will tell me who it is at first, but I’m able to guess the identity from Opal’s reaction. She only cares about a few people in this world. When she runs to the medical wing in her nightgown with no care about her appearance, it all but confirms to me that Jacob is back in Scarlett Thunder.
I’m not allowed near the clinic, so I listen in on gossip around the castle. King Peter is not at breakfast. I need to speak to Kane to tell him about what’s going on, but I can feel eyes on me wherever I go. I don’t know if Jacob has been returned or he escaped. Either way, I wasn’t informed about this beforehand, and it makes me nervous.
If Kane was planning to return Jacob to his father, surely, he would’ve told me and made arrangements to get me out. My safety is dependent on Jacob being held prisoner in Crimson Peak. Without that leverage, King Peter has little reason not to kill me. I spend the day anxiously watching my surroundings, trying not to flinch any time the guards pass by.
It’s not until the next day that King Peter appears in the dining hall. He takes a seat at the head of the table, and all the nobles wait with bated breath for him. to speak. I hunch over myself, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. I’ve learned the hard way that any time King Peter is happy it’s going to be bad news for me.
“I have good news,” King Peter declares. “Wonderful news for all of us. My son has come home.”
The nobles start whispering to each other as Prince Jacob enters the dining hall limping. He’s missing an arm, but I know that happened the first time he tried to escape. Jacob looks a lot skinner than the last time I saw him, his hair not as shiny. His time in the dungeons of Castle Graystone has left its toll.
Opal is with him, her arm clinging to his remaining arm like a vine, I know the two have always been close. As self–involved as Opal may be, she does care about her brother, and he cares about her. They make their way to the head of the table and take a seat next to their father.
King Peter raises a glass. “Welcome home, my son.”
Jacob reaches for a wine glass and his hands shake a little as he raises it. “I’m glad to be home, father
They sip their wine, the other nobles following their lead. I cannot even touch
n me and spell my my glass. I feel too on edge, waiting for the attention to fa doom. I stay as still as I can, hoping I will not be noticed.
“Now that Prince Jacob is back, Your Grace, does that mean the disagreements with Crimson Peak are in the past?” one of the noble ladies asks. “Have matters with King Kane been resolved?”
Before King Peter answers, Jacob cuts in, “F
*ck no.”
The nobles whisper furiously amongst each other.
Jacob continues. “King Kane did not set me free. I escaped with the help of our trusted dignitary Alistair, may he rest in peace. They kept me trapped in their filthy dungeons for months. They starved me and abused me.” He looks over all the faces in the dining hall, his face ugly with anger. “His general ripped my f*cking arm off!”
None of this looks good for me.
“We’re “We are not going to make peace with Crimson Peak, Jacob declares C’S going to crush them in this war. I want Kane’s head on a pike along with that. werewolf bitch he knocked up.”
King Peter nods. “Of course, they must pay for what they have done to you. They treated my son, my heir, abominably. They will have to pay in blood!”
I need to get out of there, but I can’t leave without being noticed. I have no choice but to stay in my seat until dinner is over. I escape as the nobles are leaving for bed, trying to get lost in the sea of perfumed and bejeweled bodies. Managing to make it to my room, I lock the door behind me and finally let out a deep breath.
I go to the desk and reach for the landline. The line is bugged, but it’s better than not communicating with my brother. I sit down at the desk and bury my face in my free hand as I wait for Kane to answer. He finally answers after a
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few rings.
“What’s going on?” he asks.
“Weather report,” I answer. “A new hurricane came in.”
“How bad is it?”
“Terrible. It’s going to get even worse because it’s heed your way.”
“Do you know when?”
“I don’t know the exact time but probably soon,” I reply. “Get ready, Kane. This might be the worst storm we’ve weathered yet.”
“I know.” He sounds solemn. “How are you doing over there?”
“I’m fine for now, but I don’t know how long before they remember I’m here. If you don’t hear from me after this, you can assume I’m somewhere I can’t reach a phone.”
“Lex, I should have never sent you there.”
“You did what you had to,” I counter. “And I volunteered. This was my choice. Don’t take my sacrifice away from me.”
“I wouldn’t ever do that to you. You’re braver and stronger than I ever gave you
credit for.”
“We’ll see how true that is soon enough.” I swallow my fear that is trying to choke me. “Kane, if this is the last time we get to talk, I need you to know that I-”
The phone is taken from me and thrown against the wall. It smashes into pieces as it hits the hardwood. Jacob snarls down at me, and I get to my feet, backing away as he advances on me.
“Missed me, Lex?” he growls. “While you got to live in this nice room, your brother kept me in a cold cell with barely enough blood to keep me alive.”
I raise my hands up in surrender, trying to placate him. “I’m sorry about what happened to you, Jacob. I never wanted you to suffer-”
“You don’t know what suffering is, you stupid prick!” he yells. “You don’t know what it’s like to have your leg unable to heal because your brother refused to
let me see a doctor! You don’t know what it’s like to have your arm ripped from your body!”
ontinue to back away, and he throws a chair to the wall.
“If it wasn’t for you, none of this would have happened to me! You chose loyalty to that werewolf bitch over your own kind!”
“Jacob, I didn’t-”
“Shut the f*ck up!” He lunges at me and knocks me to the floor. Even with one arm, his anger gives him the strength to keep me down. He punches me in the jaw, and my mouth begins to bleed. “It’s all your fault!”
He throws another punch, and it hits me in the ear. There’s a ringing in my head that makes me wince. He tries to throw a hook, but I block him, pushing him off me. He lands on his bad leg and yelps in pain.
“F*ck you, Lex!”
“What happened to you wasn’t my fault,” arque. “You attacked and almost killed an innocent woman because your sister was jealous. All of this was of your own doing.”
“And you think you’re any better?” he snarls. “How many cruel games did we play on other people, Lex? We had fun together because you’re just as bad as am.”
Shame prickles my skin. The reminder of the kind of company I kept and the petty games I played in the past makes me feel lower than low. As much as 1 want to deny it, my actions were similar to Jacob’s in the past. That’s what attracted me to him when he first arrived at Castle Graystone with his sister. I saw reflections of myself in both of them
“I’m nothing like you now,” I tell him. “I’m better. I’m trying to do good.”
“By spying for your brother? How much have you really helped as you ate our food and slept in a soft bed?” Jacob taunts. “You’re still the same needy little bitch that got on his knees and begged to suck my cock because, at the end of the day, Lex, you will never matter. You’re nothing more than a f*cking sparel
My face feels hot from anger and humiliation Memories of orgies where I had
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let myself be used by this scum of a human being disgusts me. I’ve never felt shame when it came to sex before, but now, all I want is to scrub myself clean. Looking at him now, Jacob’s handsome face has lost all its appeal. All I see is the ugly creature underneath.
Jacob gets to his feet, clumsily as he has to do it with one arm and a leg that looks to still be healing. He looks down at me, pale blue eyes icy. “Do you
honestly think you’re better than me? I’m the heir, Lex. I’ll be king of this kingdom someday. And you will always be the second son wishing his brother would die so he could be king instead.”
“I’ve never wanted Kane to die.”
“Bullshit!” Jacob exclaims. “If there was a way for Kane to drop dead tomorrow, you’d suck anybody’s cock to make that happen. You’d suck a hundred cocks, you dirty whore.”
Not wanting to hear any more of his taunts, I get to my feet. “Maybe if you spent less time caring about whose cock I’m sucking, you could actually make your father proud.”
Jacob’s eyes flash in fury. “Shut up!”
“We’re both f*ck–ups, but at least I’m not meant to rule a kingdom. Your father tried to mold you to be the perfect little prince and instead you’re pathetic.”
“You shut your mouth, or I’ll have your tongue cut out!”
“If he really cared about you that much, he would have gotten you out of the dungeon sooner. Instead, he was willing to let you rot in there. Maybe he hoped you’d die so you could finally be useful to him, and he could have a better reason to start a war with my brother-”
“Shut up!” He throws a punch, and I feel the crunch as my nose breaks.
Despite the pain, I laugh. “Looks like I hit a nerve.”
“Shut up!” he screams, throwing an uppercut at my jaw. I hear another crack of bone. “Shut up! Shut up!”
He hits me in the eye, and I go down. I let out another laugh. He kicks me in the stomach, and I bowl over in pain. He continues to beat me as he yells
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obscenities at me. I try to laugh despite the pain until I can’t anymore.
1 keep my eyes closed as guards come in and drage from the room. They’re not gentle as they push and pull me through the castle. They toss me into a room, and I land on a cold stone floor. My ribs ache which makes me think they must be broken.
Opening my eyes, I watch as the guards lock the cell door, preventing me from escaping.
“Get comfortable,” one of the guards mocks me. “You’ll be here awhile.”
I look around the cell with one swollen eye. It’s dark with barely any light. There’s no windows. I’m in the dungeon.
An acrid smell permeates the stone walls and floors. I haven’t smelled it since I was much younger and we would sneak down to the dungeon to take from the feeders. The smell of death is unmistakable.
Am I going to die here?
honestly don’t know.
Someone is coming for me.
They have to.
Forgive and Forget
Rainer
I make it back to the castle despite the head injury.
Martin wants to keep
me in the hospital wing overnight for observation. My ribs aren’t broken, but i have bruises on my torso. This makes it hard to lie down in any position besides on my back.
I’ve had worse injuries. Nothing a little rest can’t fix. Il be out of commission for a few days as Dr. Martin doesn’t want to take chances on disrupting my recovery. I’m more bored than anything else as I have to command the guards from a hospital bed, and I have to trust the guards to be giving me accurate information
Kane strolls in looking disheveled and worried, though he’s smiling “You look like hell‘
“You don’t look much better,” I tell him
He shrugs. “I haven’t slept in two days, but I have a beautiful baby boy
I grin at him. “I bet that makes up for everything else”
“He’s got my eyes.” he says. “He’s bald, but Helena says there’s a chance hell have red hair like Emory.
“He’ll grow up to be a looker like his mom then I quip. “To off–set your ugly
genes.”
“You’re lucky you’re injured, or I would punch you” Kane tells me but there’s n heat in his voice. There’s no hiding how pleased he is about the baby
“Fatherhood suits you.”
Kane nods and sits next to me in a chair meant for visitors. He’s been my fust I never really thought about what being a father would mean it always seemesi
ke a faraway concept”
“And to think you originally planned to have children with Opaline show She would probably eat you after conception like a black widow”
Kane grimaces at the visual. Tin more than aware of my previous folly when it came to choosing partnera”
“Aren’t you glad Bernard Moonraker was such a cold blooded bastard that he had no problemy selling off his daughters to you?”
He rubs the back of his neck “Thate to say this, bu. less Bernard Moonraker’s soul for being such a heartloan monster.
“May he suffer endlessly in whatever horrible afterlife he ended up in,” I conclude “Cause without him, you would not have Emory and little Mikey in your life”
He shakes his head. “Don’t call my son that.”
“Mikey” It’s a nickname. He’s too small to be a Michael at the moment. Once he’s taller than me, he can earn the right to be called whatever he wants.”
Kane knows when to quit a losing battle, so he drops the discussion and changes topic. “Speaking of Bernard, I haven’t told Emory and Helena yet.”
“Why not? It’s been days, Kane.”
“I know, but Emory’s still recovering from the birth, and we’ve all been so occupied with Michael-”
“Mikey.”
“-that I felt it was best to wait. I don’t want these first few days with him to be tainted with the memory of Bernard’s death. Even though he’s my son’s grandfather, he would have preferred Michael was never born. I don’t want the first week of my son’s life to be tangled up in the death of a man who would have never cared about him.”
“I don’t even know who would actually grieve Bernard. Did he have any real friends?”
“None that I know of. He made more enemies than allies during his time as Alpha. I’m sure Helena will be upset, though. She’s his mate. I’m surprised she hasn’t felt the bond break.”
“If you think about it, he’s a really sad person,” I point out. “He couldn’t make a
real connection with anybody, not even his mate, and in the end, he was all alone with nobody there to save him.”
I’m not evolved enough to feel sorry for Bernard Moonraker.” He touches my shoulder. “Get better, and we’ll tackle all the problems coming our way. I need you by my side.”
“I would never abandon you,” I say firmly with the weight of our shared history. My loyalty has first and foremost been to you.”
“You mean to the crown.”
“No, to you.”
Kane smiles, his gratitude at my loyalty clear on his face. “Once Dr. Martin lets. you out, come visit Emory and your godson. Mikey is the cutest baby you’ll ever
see.”
I laugh because he called him Mikey. My charm works on everyone. “He’s cute thanks to his mom’s pretty genes.”
Kane rolls his eyes. “F*ck off, Rain.”
He leaves and I try to rest, but I’m still bored. All I do in the hospital wing is sleep and eat. Any time I’ve tried to leave the clinic to take a walk or speak to one of the guards, one of the nurses ushers me back in. Dr. Martin does not play around and has threatened to tie me to the hospital bed if I don’t behave.
I close my eyes and try counting sheep. The more I rest, the faster I’ll be released from Dr. Martin’s prison of healing. The soft clicking of the door closing makes me open my eyes, thinking it’s Kane returning because he forgot to tell me something. Instead, Willow comes toward me dressed in one of her prim high–collared dresses.
“Willow,” I say. “What are you doing here?”
She crosses her arms under her chest. Her mouth is pursed, and she reminds me of an angry school teacher. “I haven’t seen you in days. The staff told me you were injured.”
1 grin. “Did you miss me?”
She scoffs. “Like the plague. I wanted to make sure you really were dying and
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she replies, waspaahh But the quarts refused to let me out of room due to your orders. I was only let out because I was coming to see
Wy evil plan of giving you cabin fever is working then “I discreetly reach for a pillow behind me to cover my lap. “Next step, you fall madly in love with me.”
“That’s not possible I would never fall in love with you.”
1 pause to stare at her pretty face, trying to find all her little tells “Why did your really come to see me, Willow?
“I told you. I wanted to make sure you were dying. I would hate to miss the sight of you taking your last breath.” She narrows her eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re sad.” She sputters, “I won’t fall for it. This poor–me act you have going on: I know what you’re really like deep down
“Tm the monster that haunted your nightmares for years,” I say with no guile. And I couldn’t even bother to remember what I had done to you.
She nods, her eyes watering despite her efforts not to be emotional. “You’re the
worst.”
“I truly am sorry, Willow. For everything I did. I’m not excusing it. And I
understand your anger, but I want you to know that the last thing I want to do is hurt you again.”
She closes her eyes, tears escaping down her cheeks. She wipes them away furiously. “It doesn’t erase any of it.”
“I know.
“Even if you’re sorry, it doesn’t mean I have to forgive you.”
“Of course not.”
“But….” Her blue eyes open wide, and she looks conflicted. “No matter how I’ve tried to fight you, you never gave up on me. Why?”
“I don’t know,” I answer. “It’s like I’ve been daydreaming throughout my life, and then I woke up, and I saw you. And you’re the only thing in color.”
She’s quiet. Her mouth quivers, and I watch the play of emotions on her face- sadness, anger, longing, joy, and finally, acceptance.
“I’ve tried to fight this,” she tells me. “I fought as hard as I could, but you got underneath my skin.”
“I know, sweetheart.” I coax her to move forward. “Come here.”
“I’m not ready to come there.”
“I would go there, but any time I try to leave this bed, a nurse appears out of nowhere like a poltergeist and scolds me. I’m convinced Dr. Martin is some kind of necromancer, and all his nurses are summoned from the underworld.”
Willow shakes her head. “You’re an idiot.
She doesn’t leave. She moves closer to the bed and takes a seat near my knees. I reach for her and throw the pillow to the floor so I can have her sit on my lap. Her blue eyes widen as she can feel my erection rubbing against her through her long skirt and the blanket.
“Have you been like this the entire time?” she asks.
“Since you walked into the hospital room,” I answer. “Now, I don’t know how much time we have before Dr. Martin checks on me again. We might have to
make fire quick and we have to the quiet
you think the gathe to do anything with you on this hospital bed, you’re
going
Teat off the Feet of her prince with as She instantly melts against me, k*ssing me back as if we have been lows for centur Worried that we’ll be caught we don’t fully undrete Tunbutton the high collar of her top so I can push up her white bra and see her breasts The pink tips are practically begging for my mouth so I have to k*ss and suck on them till she’s moaning and begging me for more.
“You’re not winning,” she says, stubbornly “Just because I’m letting you touch
me doesn’t mean you’ve won me over
“Of course not, darling “I push down the blanket and sleep pants I’m wearing to free my cock. She eyes my substantial erection. “We’re winning”
It takes a little bit more maneuvering with pushing her skirt and panties out of the way so she can sink down on my cock. She’s so wet, there’s not much resistance. Once she’s fully taken all of me, she closes her eyes as she rocks back and forth looking for a rhythm she likes. I keep still, letting her chase her
own pleasure
A certain angle hits the right spot, and she lets out a loud moan. I k*ss her to silence her, eyeing the door that leads to Dr. Martin’s suite. When no one comes rushing to spoil our fun, I grab Willow’s hips to find the right spot again. When I find it, she shudders and starts moving against me.
There’s no more talking after that. Willow k*sses me to muffle her moans, her teeth biting my lower lip till I taste blood. It’s not a slow and gentle coupling as we’re rushed for time, but it doesn’t make it any less good. I know with how perfect she feels around me, sex will only get better from here:
“I’m close,” she whispers, panting
I guide her hand to her clit and watch as she touches herself, her pussy fluttering around my cock as she begins to come. With her blue eyes drunk on pleasure, moaning out my name, Willow isn’t just pretty. She’s beautiful. Sexy
I turn her over so I’m on top, an athletic feat on this small hospital bed. I encourage her to wrap her legs around my waist so I can thrust deeper into
her. I’m not going to last. This thing between us has been building up for months, and no fantasy can compare to the reality of her.
1 bury my face in her neck, chest to chest it’s like we’re one creature. Sex has never been this good. I can’t remember it ever coming close to this.
“Come for me, Rainer,” she whispers in my ear.
I obey her command. There’s no losing in this regard.
