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IT WORRIED RAIDER, how much he needed Seth. They had parted ways less than ten minutes ago, but Raider already felt anxious about the separation. Of course, that probably had something to do with their current circumstances.
True, this was their second morning in Prince Rahim’s palace and nothing, so far, had happened. But Raider still didn’t like having Seth spend his days with that arcanist.
Of course … that also had a lot to do with the way Malik looked at Seth, not to mention the way he oh-so-casually touched Seth at every opportunity. And Raider certainly didn’t like that Seth tolerated it, regardless of his reasons, regardless of his dismissal of the idea that he was being tested for the prince’s bed. If Seth was wrong, if Malik tried to take things any further, Raider would put a stop it, and to hell with the consequences.
Seth was his.
And he was Seth’s.
That had felt clear and simple isolated in Seth’s room, with Seth’s cum in his ass, on his chest, down his throat. It had felt absolute when Seth had said of Raider’s cock the other night, This is mine.
Raider didn’t understand why he even wanted to be claimed like that. He’d always valued freedom above all else. He didn’t know why he wanted Seth to grab him, force him, fuck him so possessively.
All he knew was that when Seth fixated on him like that, wouldn’t let him escape, took over his decisions, Raider felt … safe. He felt centered. He felt whole.
And it wasn’t just during sex. He’d felt that same sense of certainty when Seth had slept last night with his hand on Raider’s chest, his leg over Raider’s hip, his breath stirring Raider’s hair. He’d felt it when Seth had stretched his shoulder this morning, gently insisting in spite of Raider’s surliness, until it had felt natural to let him help.
But that sense of certainty had vanished when a message from Lord Malik had arrived this morning. When Raider had felt Seth’s attention shift.
The same thing had happened yesterday. Seth had spent all day with Lord Malik. Because after discussing his mission with the arcanist? Rather than losing interest in Seth, Malik had offered to help him hunt for Julian.
What the hell? Why would Malik care about a fugitive of the Arcanum? And why couldn’t Seth see how that indicated that Prince Rahim had no interest in having Seth add arcane oddities to his collection like Seth had argued?
Besides, helping Seth was Raider’s job.
But Seth didn’t seem to see it that way. Totally focused on his mission, just as Raider had feared, Seth had leaped at the opportunity to spend yesterday with Malik, who had shown him around Aqarat like a glorified tour guide.
So Raider had spent yesterday hunting for an escape route—which he’d found. Palaces always had them, and Prince Rahim’s hadn’t even been difficult to locate. Best of all, the underground tunnel system led beneath the city walls, all the way out.
When Raider had reported this fantastic find to Seth last night (once Seth had finally become his again), rather than being suitably impressed, Seth had actually scolded him.
Seth’s words had included: dangerous, foolish, unnecessary, and (most insultingly) could have been caught.
Raider might have replied with something about needing the escape route himself, just to get away from Seth and Malik’s nauseating flirtation.
Seth had scowled gorgeously at that. He’d made some argument about using every possible resource to find Julian so that they—yes, I mean you and me, Raider, he’d specified—could get out of Aqarat.
And do what? Raider had asked.
Figure this out.
This?
Yes, Seth had replied, moving in to grip Raider’s cock through his pants. (Arguing with Seth always made him hard.) This.
They hadn’t talked much after that. And everything, for the blissful hours of the night, had been right.
Until a note from Lord Malik had arrived this morning and Seth had started dressing in a hurry to meet his oh-so-helpful guide, who had suggested they start today at a kahve shop in the southern part of the city.
When Raider had snorted and made a few relevant (though possibly sarcastic) comments, Seth had only scowled and warned Raider to not cause any trouble.
Raider had no intention of causing trouble. He did, however, intend to break into Malik’s workroom.
Raider didn’t trust that arcanist one bit. And not just because of the sexual overtones of his—and, by extension, Prince Rahim’s—interest in Seth. Regardless of whether Seth was being tested as a potential addition Malik and Rahim’s bed, something else was in play. Raider was sure of it—and he intended to find proof.
Maybe then Seth would be willing to get the hell out of here.
Raider slipped through the window of Malik’s workroom and dropped lightly to the floor. He cast a sharp eye around the room for movement. Seeing none, he retracted his quicksilver armor, letting it slide back from his fingers and up his left arm with a shhhhkt.
