Alex blinked and placed his hands on William's shoulders. He looked shaken, but Alex couldn't understand what had come over him.
"What happened?"
"I need you. Please." William clutched at his clothes. "I need your touch."
"I'm always here for you, you know that."
Still, he wasn't sure it was a good idea to have sex with him in that situation. William seemed desperate, as if he needed Alex's touch to stay anchored to reality.
"All right."
He cupped his face and kissed him gently on the lips. His warm breath enveloped Alex and broke down his last defenses.
He caressed his cheeks and neck, then pushed him to sit on the bed. He kissed the palm and the fingers, then moved down to the wrist.
He nibbled at the skin and shot him a sidelong glance. He seemed calmer, his gaze less desperate than before.
"May I undress you?"
"Yes."
Alex kissed him again, his fingers slipping beneath the robe and sliding it off his shoulders. He let himself fall onto the mattress and pulled William on top of him, then slipped a hand inside his trousers and caressed his buttocks.
"Are you sure I can?"
"Yes," the mage murmured.
The prince finished undressing him, then returned to kissing his lips and his neck. William let out a trembling moan and dug his fingers into his clothes.
Alex licked his bare chest, the skin so pale it made him ache to mark it with kisses and gentle bites.
"William…" he called softly.
He slipped a finger inside him and felt him stiffen.
"I'm here with you," he continued, moving his finger inside him. "We're together, just the two of us. Nightmares have no power here."
William rested his head against his shoulder, his warm, quickened breath caressing his neck. Alex kept penetrating him with his finger, occasionally brushing his temple with his lips.
"You're safe, you can let yourself go with me."
He slipped in another finger, and William arched his back and moaned.
Alex kissed him, forcing his lips open and intertwining his tongue with his. He caressed him gently, letting himself be enveloped by his breath and the warmth of his mouth.
William's body tightened around his fingers, warm and inviting, and little by little, the tension left his muscles. The prince withdrew his fingers, lowered his own trousers, and touched his erection.
"Can I?"
William nodded, and Alex pressed the tip against his entrance. Slowly, he pushed inside him. The mage stiffened, and his poison-green eyes filled with tears.
The prince entered halfway. "Will, you need to relax."
"I-I'm sorry…"
"It's all right, my lovely raven. Whatever happened, you're safe." He kissed his temple. "You can trust me."
"I'm sorry…"
Alex pressed his lips together. Having sex with him while William cried in his arms made him uneasy. He would have preferred to cuddle him, but William seemed to need closer, more physical comfort.
As if he felt dirty.
"You have nothing to apologize for." He began to move. "Stay with me, Will. You'll get through this, too."
He loved him as gently as possible, murmuring in his ear and drawing small moans from him.
William dug his fingers into his shoulder and trembled in his arms, and Alex felt as if he had returned to their first moments together after the accident in Narea.
They came together. The prince slipped out of his body and held him tightly in his arms, stroking his back.
"Thank you," William murmured, clinging to him.
Alex studied his face. "How do you feel now?"
"Fine." William sat up. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Nothing happened, Your Highness. It was only a moment of weakness."
To Alex, it sounded like a lie; William wasn't the type to panic without reason. But if the mage didn't want to talk about it, he couldn't force him.
"Why did you come here?"
"I questioned Caleb." Alex stroked his side. "He's drowning in debts his father doesn't want to repay, but someone has offered to cover them. In exchange, he agreed to drug me."
William frowned, his gaze turning cold as a blade again. "And he involved your maid."
"It was actually my maid who involved him. It seems she acted as an intermediary. But it looks like none of this has anything to do with the murder."
"I don't like this story at all. I fear it isn't over yet."
Alex sighed and laced his fingers behind his head. "I told my father that you'll be the one taking care of me instead of my servants."
"You don't trust them?"
"At the moment, I only trust you. Are you able to detect poisons and drugs?"
"I can use magic, but it isn't infallible."
"Better than nothing."
"Your Highness… does this mean I'll sleep in your room?"
"Yeah, so you won't have to hide between my legs anymore."
"Did you tell your father about the marriage as well?"
"Yes. I set some conditions—one of them is that Ballard must withdraw the vote against you."
William's eyes flew open, and for a moment, he seemed relieved. "Do you think he'll accept?"
"He has no real reason to refuse, does he? If anything, it's in his interest to go along with me."
"That's good, then."
"Are you worried?"
"Just a little."
Alex drew him on his lap. "I won't let anyone take you away from me."
He kissed his forehead, and William gave a faint smile.
"Your Highness, may I ask you a strange question?"
"Of course."
"Would it hurt you to know I was with someone else?"
Alex frowned. "Of course. We're together, aren't we? So no one else should have you."
"I wouldn't."
"Then why ask me?"
William gave a sharp smile. "I just wanted to see you a little jealous."
"You're terrible." Alex rolled onto his side and switched their positions, pinning him beneath himself. "I think I'll punish you."
"And how?"
"I have a couple of ideas."
He knelt between his legs and spread them, then slipped a finger inside him and began to prepare him. William clenched his fists in the sheets and closed his eyes.
"I love your hands."
"I thought you loved another part of my body."
"You're truly shameless."
Alex kissed him on the lips. "You're tight again."
"And isn't that a good thing?"
"Only if I don't hurt you."
William brought a hand to his lips, his gaze turning languid.
Alex bit his throat and shoulder. He traced his skin with the tip of his tongue and sucked one of his nipples. William trembled with pleasure and moaned against his hand, and the prince's arousal grew.
"Take your hand away, Will. I want to hear you."
"I'm too noisy."
"It doesn't matter."
Alex caught his wrist and pinned his hand to the mattress. William's breathing was fast and warm, his moans and gasps filling the silence.
The prince bit one of his nipples, and the mage arched against his body.
"Y-Your Highness…"
"Do you like it?"
"Take me. I beg you."
Alex smiled and withdrew his fingers. He guided the tip closer and entered him slowly.
"Are you all right, Will?"
"Yes." William clung to his back. "Don't hold back."
"Are you sure? Before—"
"I'm fine now. Fuck me the way you like, Your Highness."
A bubble of excitement swelled in Alex's chest. He gripped his hips and began to thrust into him with deep, rapid strokes.
William clung to his back, his nails scratching his skin and heightening the prince's arousal.
He loved him and wanted nothing more than to have him by his side for the rest of his life—to enjoy the warmth of his body, fall asleep holding him in his arms, and listen to him read softly.
Alex slipped out of his body, turned him onto all fours, and penetrated him again. He wrapped his arms around his hips and pressed his chest to his back.
"Will…" he murmured in his ear.
"Your Highness…"
"My lovely raven."
He bit his shoulder, his thrusts growing faster and deeper. William's body wrapped around him in a warm, damp embrace that seemed to melt only for him.
They kissed, brushing tongues and biting lips.
"William." He licked his ear. "I'm close."
"Me too."
"I want to see your face."
The prince kept thrusting, kissing him, and holding him until they both came with low moans.
He remained inside him for a few moments, then withdrew.
They lay on the mattress, and for a long time they both remained silent, their quick breaths grazing their chests, their fingers brushing in slow caresses.
Then William curled into his arms. Alex covered them both with the blankets, and he kissed the bite mark on his shoulder.
"You're my favorite grumpy raven."
"Should I deduce that you have other grumpy ravens?"
"Who knows," Alex laughed.
William gave him a deadpan look. "Are you trying to make me jealous?"
"Is it working?"
"No. But I might get angry if I saw you kissing Lady Vanessa."
Alex pressed his lips to the back of his hand. "You have my word, I'll limit myself to making polite compliments about her character."
"Be careful. They might take advantage of it."
"You worry about me, my raven?"
"Always, Your Highness." William kissed him on the lips and rested his forehead on his shoulder. "I will always worry about you."
Alex smiled and held him against his chest. "Now I really don't feel like going back to my study."
"It's part of your duties."
"If I behave like a good prince, can I have a reward?"
"But you must finish all your tasks."
Alex chuckled. "Deal, my raven."
They spent the rest of the day working, and from that evening on, William began sleeping with Alex. However, for some reason, the mage seemed more distant and silent than usual, as if something were worrying him.
Two days before the Council meeting, the king summoned the prince in private to discuss the matter of the marriage with Ballard.