Natural Beauty (The Cubi Book 5)

by Meraki P. Lyhne

  “I think I just want to go home and relax a while. Unless we have more to attend to, that is?”

  “We do, but you have time to go home and relax. You’re allowed to take time after this.”

  Seldon cupped Daniel’s face and brought their lip together. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll go with you, Dad,” Marcadon said, hauling Seldon to his feet.

  “We’ll see you in a little while,” Caledon said, smiling at Seldon.

  Marcadon didn’t let go of Seldon as they walked back to the Royal Quarters at a slow pace. “Can’t believe he didn’t punish him at all.”

  “Are you questioning his decision?” Seldon asked.

  “No!”

  “Marca, I wasn’t being snappy, I’m genuinely curious.”

  Marcadon slowed, still holding onto Seldon’s arm as he turned to face him. Seldon felt good about being protected and supported by his son. He really was all grown up and had become an Incubus worthy of respect.

  “No, I don’t question his decision,” Marcadon finally said. He thought for a moment longer. “I merely wonder how he arrived at it.”

  “You and me both, son,” Seldon said, turning to walk again. “You and me both.”

  * * * *

  Daniel watched as Seldon and Marcadon left. He then looked at his friend, Aaron who looked like he felt out of place and not quite sure of the side he’d just seen of his childhood friend. But Daniel didn’t have time to address that now. He hated not really having the time to properly help Aaron find his place, and he even wondered if he should leave the raising of the Untouchable world to someone else. But Daniel also planned on forcibly changing him if he wasn’t a natural Changeling, yet he respected his friend’s wishes enough to want to ask him first. There were years still before that would come up, though, so Daniel had time.

  “Dad, would you be with Aaron while we finish this?”

  “Yes, son, I will.” Roardon smiled and pulled Daniel in for a hug. “I’m proud of the personal strength you showed today,” he whispered in Daniel’s ear. “What you don’t have the strength to do, let others do for you.” There was an unmistakable coldness to his tone as he said that last part. Roardon then stepped back and smiled at Daniel, put his arm around Aaron’s shoulder, and led him away.

  Daniel walked to the head of the table, taking his seat. The Royals, the Council, and Caledon joined him. “May I hear your opinions?”

  “Do you need them?” Geodin asked. “Would you change your verdict?”

  “No. But you may change my verdict since I’m not crowned the sovereign ruler, yet. I submit to my Council’s experience.”

  “And your Royal allies?” Elakdon asked.

  “I ask for guidance and that you share your experiences with me.”

  Elakdon smiled at the others before leaning forward and looking to the second youngest Royal at the table—Sundin. “Will you begin, young Queen?”

  “Yes, I think that’s fitting.” She thought for a moment, staring at the table. Then a moment while contemplating Daniel. “I don’t know if I admire your ability to not take revenge on behalf of your lover. Or if I think you’re afraid to.”

  Well, that was a nice way to phrase him a coward.

  “What would you have done?” Daniel asked.

  “I would have killed him. The moment I learned.”

  Daniel nodded, looking to the next Royal in line.

  Plydon too watched Daniel a moment. “I do admire you. Especially your ability to see a before and an after aspect of the Changeling’s life. It’s inspired even. But the horrors of rape are every bit the abomination you called it out to be, and because he’s done it to more than the two Cubi in his custody, I would have him put down like the sick animal I perceive him to be.”

  Daniel could live with that—especially because he’d thought about that. In the end, he guessed it was the striving to be as strong as Seldon that kept him from taking the Changeling’s life. Had he overreached? He’d once watched Seldon pull a human’s fingernails out and thought him nothing more than a barbaric and sadistic Cubus. Without insight into the training, how could he see anything else? Now he saw honor and a capacity for mercy he’d once sworn wasn’t there. And that was what Daniel strived for. Had he neglected to balance it with metaphorical fingernails?

  Each of the Royals offered their thoughts, and Daniel felt more or less incompetent when the majority wanted the Changeling dead. The only one left to be heard from was Elakdon, and if Daniel knew anything about the King and his niece, then it was their expression when amused or secretive.

  “I have to admit something to you, and I hope you’ll forgive me,” Elakdon said. “When I changed him, it was to avoid being raped. Knowing he raped your lover, I then decided to give him to you to see what you’d do once you learned that fact.”

  Daniel stared at Elakdon, wondering if he hadn’t expected it. He had, but not that the King had put that much thought into it. Being his first ally, Daniel even thought he understood, but he was slightly pissed. Yet, it was challenges like that, and the ones Seldon had so far made to test Daniel, which caused him to grow, so shouldn’t he be grateful for the chance to grow before power had a chance to corrupt him?

  All he knew was that he was far too young for that amount of power. He even feared it. Caledon had reminded Daniel that he’d earned his Council’s respect on previous occasions. He’d shown himself worthy of being asked. He’d even revealed that he admired Daniel’s ability to look at all sides of a case—a skill the Lord himself had helped teach Daniel.

  It almost made Daniel laugh because that was the last he’d ever thought he’d hear. Going back home had set it all in an unbearably bright light. How much he’d evolved under Seldon’s strict but loving care had been a sharp contrast to who his mom had expected to walk back through her door—the selfish brat who’d slammed the door because he couldn’t get his way.

  “Did I pass your test?”

  “Flying colors, young Prince,” Elakdon exclaimed. “From what I’ve heard about you from my niece, I didn’t expect you to want him dead, but your reasoning was a surprise. The fact that you could overcome the thirst for revenge makes me wonder. It does not, however, make me doubt that you are indeed worthy of power at such a young age, and the fact that you submit to your council’s verdict now substantiates that.”

  Daniel smiled and looked at his Council.

  “Shall the Council vote on whether we will follow your verdict or change it, My Prince?” Geodin said.

  “Yes.” And Daniel even expected it to be changed.

  “All those who are for the verdict of Nol-Beaudon?” Geodin asked, not raising her own hand. Daniel hadn’t expected her to, so he looked around, finding only three, Neardon being one. With Ashdon out of the picture, the council was at an uneven number, but Caledon had a vote, too. Daniel looked at him, and he was making fists on the table. Seldon was his lover, too, and Daniel wondered whether he was afraid to look vindictive.

  “In this matter, I’d like to stay out,” Caledon finally said.

  “Then the majority of seven,” Geodin said, looking around the table. “Four to three, the verdict will be changed. I suggest death.”

  By the hands being raised there, the Changeling would be put down, and Daniel didn’t know how he felt about that.

  “May I ask that it’s done quietly?” Caledon asked. “Like an accident or suicide or something. The Prince showed himself merciful. If his verdict is overruled, let it stay the knowledge of the Council and not his people.”

  “Lord Ilkil-Nol makes a valid point. I shall see that it’s done quietly,” Grand Lady Wendin said.

  “Thank you, Grand Lady,” Daniel said, still in turmoil about someone getting a capital punishment.

  “As all Grand Lords and Ladies are Fountains of another Kingdom, may I offer a Lord to fill your council?” Nol-Plydon asked. “I have a Lord who often utters philosophies that match your own and the legacy of Dahlidin. He visited many years ago an
d has pushed to have some of Dahlidin’s ways implemented in my own Kingdom.”

  “I would very much like to meet him,” Daniel said.

  “Are you getting rid of a new thinker?” Elakdon asked, grinning.

  Plydon snorted. “Yes and no. I shall be sorry to see him go, he is quite the philanthropist, but I think this new Kingdom of Beaudon needs him far more than I do. I shall be open to taking a Fountain in return for my own Council once you have grown into your strength, Nol-Beaudon, because I do find your thoughts and…annoyingly progressive ideas necessary.”

  Elakdon and Sundin laughed loudly, and Daniel chuckled, not really knowing if that was to be taken as a compliment or a well-cloaked insult. But he’d set in motion what challenged the Cubi’s place in a shared nation, and some Kingdoms were more ready than others to do the same. The ones with the oldest Royals, not counting the King who allowed his sister the experiment that founded Daniel’s Kingdom, were the ones who apparently found change the scariest. With that in mind, he decided to take Plydon’s comment as admittance to that very fear.

  “Thank you, Plydon, I would like that very much. Now…the hunting parties?”

  “Are almost ready to go,” Geodin said. “One week from today, the training facility on neutral territory will be ready, and we have heard back from the Cubi remaining at the Great…the old House.”

  “The Grand House of Dahlidin,” Daniel said, liking how Geodin’s eyes lit up with joy and pride that her mother’s legacy was being honored.

  “The Grand House of Dahlidin,” she said. “They believe it possible to keep and have sent schematics of necessary renovation and restructuring to secure it.”

  Daniel liked that it could remain, but as what? “Would it be housing again?”

  “Some of us hated having to leave,” Neardon said. “It served all our purposes.”

  Daniel smiled. “I understand. And since I’ll be asking all but red-eyes to procreate more often, I see the point. I even want to air the idea of building one or two more Grand Houses since I’d also like to take my allies up on their offer to help populate my land.”

  Geodin was focused as she flicked away on the screen of her tablet before sliding it toward Daniel. “Where would you like it to be located?”

  Daniel looked at the map, finding it outlining his Kingdom and the natural reserves they owned. “I was thinking about planning three, yet of course not building them all at once. But to have them distributed so that none are clumped together. Those willing to live outside of the Grand Houses or here need to be within driving distance to be dosed because I’m pretty sure most Lords and Ladies won’t be taking up settlement anywhere else.”

  “Oh, why’s that?” Neardon asked.

  Daniel looked at him, smiling. “Because I definitely heard in your tone that you included yourself among those hating to leave. And I understand. You’re the ones who’ve lived this way the longest. Thus you’re the ones a change would challenge the most.”

  “Are there other reasons for you to distribute the new Houses?” Caledon asked.

  “Yes, it’ll make it easier for me to go around empowering my people. I don’t see myself doing that in a hotel room. We need to keep the structure and hierarchy. The preliminary plan is that each House, and I’d prefer there to be one for each Council member like before, will be where the Cubi gather and where Changelings are brought up.”

  “And you’re going to have a lot of Changelings soon,” Elakdon pointed out.

  “Yeah.” Daniel looked at the map. “California, Colorado, New York…I haven’t read up on Geography on Canada, but…”

  “We don’t have anything that would be a good distance from here,” Geodin said, reaching for the tablet. Daniel pushed it back to her. “The States you suggest are.”

  “California would be the best place to build first, I think,” Neardon said.

  Agreeing voices chimed in, and Daniel felt like he’d accomplished something even though the Changeling wouldn’t be spared. Next thought to occupy his mind was how long it would take to gather the natural beauties and where to house them if they superseded the capacity of the Great House since the neutral ground housing was for breeders and regular Changelings.

  Lots of little details had to be worked out before then, and Daniel was happy most weren’t for him to hash out. Not yet, at least, and he could leave to tend to other duties, leaving only Caledon to stand in for Seldon. That would give Daniel time for some much-needed R&R and pampering of Seldon.

  Chapter Twelve

  Something moving woke Alex up. It was Gordon groaning and tossing, still asleep but feeling the hunger. For the past few days, Alex had stayed in Gordon’s room, and they’d ordered some of the furniture. The only thing missing was the bed, and it would arrive that day. It should have arrived the day before, but something in the company’s line of delivery went wrong. Jeff mentioned something about a tire blowing out, but Alex didn’t know whether that was just a thought or what he’d been told when the company called and apologized for not being able to meet the agreed upon time of delivery. Luckily, Gordon was a pretty restrained red-eye, and he’d fed before going to bed every night, just in case.

  Alex had spent the time mostly alone or with Jeff. He’d helped out in the bar and in storage, hauling beer and soda and chips. He’d also cleaned a few feeding stalls—or cubicles as they were called—and Jay had sent off two Cubi and one human who thought they should feed on him. The human was a regular named Greg…or was it Gary? Alex learned that he wanted to be an Incubus, but he wasn’t even in the know. He was hot, sure, and he’d been dosed, yet no change had occurred.

  Kaydon had been friendly and asked Alex how his ass was doing. When Alex confirmed that he definitely still felt him, Kaydon had grinned goofily, wagged his brows, and walked off with a self-satisfied grin on his face. Alex really liked the guy, and he thought he was mentally ready to kick in and maybe feed him again.

  Alex had also spent some time alone trying to figure out everything that had happened since he’d been kidnapped. He realized it wasn’t until he’d returned home to his boxed-off life at his parent’s place that he’d gotten the chance to have something to hold against the limited freedom he’d had at the House of Dahlidin. In fact, it wasn’t until he made it back to his previous freedom that he’d learned he hadn’t been free at all, and that he’d had freedom at the Great House of Dahlidin. He just hadn’t recognized it as such.

  Another moan escaped Gordon, claiming Alex’s attention. He should leave the bed, but he was lying against the wall, giving the Incubus most of the space to thrash around on. There was no one there to dose him, and Alex had to scoot out of the bed and make his way downstairs to see if he could find a Cubus of an adequate level if he were to feed Gordon.

  Gordon’s arm swung out and hit Alex’s shoulder. At the contact, Gordon’s eyes snapped open, and he turned dark red eyes on Alex. Shit. As if burned, Gordon pulled his arm away.

  “Fuck, I’d hoped even a feeding as mundane as that one could have kept me over.” Gordon breathed heavily, staring at the ceiling.

  “Should I run?”

  Gordon turned his head and tried for a smile, but he was clearly struggling, and Alex didn’t feel quite safe. “Unless you could enjoy me sucking you off.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Wanna let me try?” Gordon turned on the bed, and Alex felt like a cornered animal. “I can stop, I promise.” He moved closer, and Alex discovered that the wall at his back didn’t budge when he tried to do the same.

  He then remembered what he’d tried to convince himself of the past few days, thinking. That he had to try to embrace life with the Cubi or he’d never fit in anywhere. He already knew he didn’t fit into the human society anymore, yet him being alone with Gordon that hungry was scary.

  “I’m scared,” Alex said meekly.

  Gordon looked hurt and backed away, turning to sit on the edge of the bed, rubbing his head. “I’ll go find someone else.”
>
  “No, its…”

  “I can’t please you if you’re afraid of me.”

  “Not you, Gordon, God, not you.”

  When Gordon turned on the bed, his eyes were less dark than when he woke up. “Then what? Is it what Elias did that still haunts you?”

  “No…I don’t know.” Alex looked at the cast arm, hoping he’d get it off soon, but they’d upped the time to twelve weeks after Jenny had insisted Seldon took him back to the see the doctor. “I’ve never done anything undosed before. What if I can’t enjoy it? What if I can’t and then hurt you?”

  “Oh, Alex.”

  He hadn’t expected the level of understanding he saw in Gordon’s eyes as he moved to lie on his side, facing Alex.

  “Slow, then. We’ll go slow. You can even think about whatever girl whose mouth you want your dick in.”

  “There’s no girl.”

  “But you identify as heterosexual, right?”

  “Bi-curious was the one I went by the night I got snatched for trying to figure that one out.”

  Gordon flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. “Yeah, I guess that can leave a few ghosts. I’m sorry.”

  “Not your fault.”

  Gordon turned his head and looked at Alex with sincerity. “I’m still sorry if it ruined your need to figure stuff out.”

  “I never saw myself as a bottom, yet when I’m dosed, I can’t get enough.”

  Gordon chuckled. “Tell me about it.” He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow, apparently too restless from hunger to stay still for more than a minute at a time. He even stroked his cock leisurely before even noticing what he was doing, and for what had to be Alex’s comfort, he stopped and pulled the covers to cover his hunger boner. “So what, you wanna top me?”

  “You can’t feed from that,” Alex said, shrugging.

  “I can if you love it! Pure energy is verse. We just don’t feed fully until we’re green-eyes.”

  Alex didn’t have the sense to stop the surprised look on his face, and Gordon’s eyes darkened. Okay, so he hadn’t merely looked surprised, he’d looked willing.