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To be helpless

All of Cas's actions had been directed toward one goal: to wield control over his own destiny He'd had no choices when orphaned Just to eat, he'd been forced to do things no child should ever contemplate He'd had no choices when others had scorned him for his poverty

Now Mirceo was he him in once more Either the va to hiive a fuck

Cas paced "Tell me how to be rid of you"

"I did Claim my body, and if you still don't want ain"

"That won't happen," Cas said, even as he wondered if he should simply take what Mirceo offered and lose his seal Then he could find a fes with

Could he fuck anotherinside Mirceo made his body vibrate If Cas went into one of those es, he would be inside the prince within a heartbeat's ti him

Putting the arrogant prince on his hands and knees Such a vulnerable position Cas rubbed the heel of his palm over his shaft

His only physical issue with taking Mirceo? Cas feared he'd coone"

"And what if you change your mind? Hoould you ever be able to find me?"

Though a demon could teleport to places he'd previously been, sodom's location Even a tracker like Cas could never reach Dacia again Not that he'd ever wanted to remember how to return to that cursed place!

"Caspion, you would be ret"

"I'll show as ret as you did when your uncle set off to assassinate !"

Gray eyes narrowed "I warned you before you left, sweetheart And before you even journeyed to Dacia! But the threat of death didn't slow you down, did it? Because what happened between us was so powerful that you had to flee what you felt"

Cas couldn't argue with that "Say that's true You could've requested leniency for your friend"

"Ah, my friend? The one who betrayed the laws of my people? In any case, I did ask for leniency I pleaded for it But I was granted none So I acted resigned, even as I plotted to do whatever it took to protect you"

If true--and natural-born vampires couldn't lie--then this news appeased at least soe he felt toward Mirceo All these years, Cas had carried that burden

As it dissipated, numbness took its place

"When Trehan caht, I was already in Abaddon, ready to defend you," Mirceo said "You re"

C

as's lips parted He had been there Mirceo had planned to challenge the great Prince of Shadow? Which meant Mirceo had intended to risk his very life For me

"But my uncle never made it to you because he sensed Bettina and was distracted Then he entered the tournament" For her, Trehan had left his do after that point"

"Do not reoverned all of their behavior inside and out of the ring "Did you see Trehan fight me?" Say no

"No, I didn't My other uncles and I were chasing our new king all over the Lore, trying to protect hi his nape, Mirceo added, "But I heard about it"

Cas's face heated "The Abaddonae will never view me the same way Trehan denied me an honorable death" Since his self-exile, Cas still wasn't ready to face the people of his kingdom

Though I miss Bettina He hadn't seen her in centuries

"Honorable death?" Mirceo scoffed "You can't enjoy honor when you're dead"

Cas didn't bother arguing with him; a spoiled prince like Mirceo would never understand "Did you tell Trehan that I'm your mate?"

"I did"

Cas's worst enereatest weakness "And how did you reveal that? Did you refer to me as your Bride? Is that how you would introduce me?"

"I see the blood rise in your cheeks" Mirceo exhaled with impatience "Our species has always been inclusive, and noe are updating the tery Male or female, a mate is a mate," he said "Besides, as a prince of Dacia--which you already are, just by virtue of our fated connection--you won't be introduced to others They will be presented to you, because you are now a royal of the House of Castellan, the heart of our kingdom"

"Me? A prince?"

Mirceo nodded "Mina and I are all that's left of our house We need you, Caspion--"

"Shut up" Awareness lifted the fine hairs on Cas's nape The rolling hills surrounding the brothel were too still Insects and night creatures had fallen silent He surveyed the terrain One by one vampires materialized in the distance

"No need to be rude, you lout" Mirceo sighed "But if Iwith your knob"

Cas rolled his eyes "Vampires close in on us" They emanated menace Excellent He needed to vent some frustration