by Katee Robert
He could keep fighting this, or he could accept that Theo did exactly what Galen would have done if their situations were reversed. At the end of the day, it was no competition. They had more important things to do than to fight each other. “Drama queen.”
Theo gave a soft smile. “Only some days.”
They stood there, so close their exhales mingled. It was the most natural thing in the world to lean in and take Theo’s mouth. All of the bullshit, all of the back-bending and stressful days and politicking and shit Galen didn’t want to deal with… It was all worth it because it meant he could do this whenever he damn well pleased.
Or at least it had been worth it until someone went after Meg.
Theo gripped the back of his neck and broke away enough to say. “Stop thinking and stay with me. Just for a little bit.”
Meg was sleeping in the other room. There was nothing more they could do for her right now. More than that, Theo needed him right now. “Next time—”
“For fuck’s sake, Galen, you’re not normally one to talk something to death.”
No, he really wasn’t. “That’s what you get for naming me Consort. Talking is all I do these days.” He hadn’t mean for the words to come out so bitter, but once they emerged, there was no taking them back.
For a second, it looked like Theo might kiss him again, but then he leaned back and released Galen. “I didn’t know you’d hate it so much—either of you. I thought this was the only way we could be together.”
There it was. Out in the open.
Galen crossed his arms over his chest. “We both know it wouldn’t have mattered if you did. You want what you want, and to hell with anyone who gets in your way.”
Theo narrowed his eyes. “Are you still pissed that I tried to put you on a plane? I thought it was the best option at the time.”
“Because you know best. I think we’ve more than proven that’s complete bullshit.”
“Fuck, Galen, what do you want from me?” Frustration roughened Theo’s voice, the emotion reflected on his face. He ran his fingers through his dark hair and cursed again. “I don’t know how to make this right. I don’t know how to make any of this right.”
Galen shook his head. What the fuck was he doing? They didn’t need to hash this out. Things were the way they were. He might not have wanted the role of Consort, but he sure as hell wasn’t complaining about sharing a bed with Theo and Meg every night. And being “out” in public made him realize how exhausting a couple decades’ worth of sneaking around had been. He might not like that he had stepped into the exact type of role his father had always wanted for him, but that was his baggage. It didn’t belong to anyone else.
He was on Theo before his friend had a chance to register the change. Six months of playing Consort hadn’t made Galen into a wordsmith who knew the right things to say to get people to do what he wanted, and it sure as hell hadn’t gifted him the skillset to comfort the two people he loved when they needed it. He didn’t know if he’d ever play that part in their little threesome, but that was okay. Theo and Meg were better on both fronts.
This?
This, he knew how to do.
He took Theo’s mouth, hard and rough and exactly what they both needed. The worst was yet to come for their current situation, and neither of them could do a damn thing about it tonight. But they could do this. He fisted the front of Theo’s shirt and gave it a yank, scattering buttons across the tile floor. A quick flick of his wrist and he had Theo’s belt free and his pants undone. Galen paused. They might not usually need words, but tonight wasn’t like usual nights. “I know this clusterfuck is weighing on you. You don’t have to bear it alone.”
“I’m the king.”
“You keep saying that. It’s bullshit and you know it. You have us. You have me.” He went to his knees as he shoved Theo’s pants off. “You’re going to do whatever the fuck you think you need to, and we both know it. Well, damn it, you’ll take what you need from me tonight.”
Theo reached down with a hand that didn’t tremor in the least and ran his fingers through Galen’s hair. “You think fucking is going to fix this.”
“I think fucking is what you need to take the edge off so you can stop reacting and start using that impressive brain of yours to figure out a way through this shit.” He took Theo’s cock into his mouth before his friend could keep arguing. Galen had said his peace. That wasn’t what this was about. Theo would do what Theo wanted to do. He always did.
And Galen would keep him anchored to the earth in the meantime.
He sucked Theo down. It didn’t matter that Galen had Theo’s cock inside his body more times than he could count. He never got tired of the full feeling, of having to stretch to compensate. Theo bumped the back of his throat and he relaxed into it, opening himself completely.
Theo held perfectly still for a moment, two, a third. Trying to hang onto that legendary control of his. His anger and fear and frustration were riding too close to the surface for him to win that particular battle. He cursed low and hard and then his hands were on either side of Galen’s face, holding him in place as Theo started fucking his mouth. “This is what you want, you pushy asshole. You want me to fuck you until it hurts.”
Yes.
If he did, maybe Galen would stop picturing Meg at the bottom of those goddamn stairs, her hazel eyes wide and unseeing, her chest still, her lungs having drawn their last breath. If Theo used him thoroughly enough, maybe he’d actually be able to sleep through what was left of the night.
Probably not, but it was worth a shot.
Theo picked up his pace, slamming into Galen’s mouth. Into his throat. Involuntary tears sprang from his eyes, and Theo wiped them tenderly away without missing a single punishing stroke. “That’s it, Galen. Take it all from me. Take everything.” His words lost their carefully cultured tone, spilling between them, raw and true. “Drink me down. That’s a fucking order.” He came with a low curse, spilling over Galen’s tongue and down his throat. He wrenched Galen to his feet and kissed him hard.
In that moment, they weren’t King and Consort. They were just two men who had known each other most of their lives. There was perfect trust and perfect understanding.
Galen closed his eyes as a shiver worked through his body. He had to get control of himself. This shit wasn’t him. “You have a plan.”
“I have a plan.” Theo hesitated, and then gave a rough laugh. “You’re not going to like it.”
That drew forth a laugh of his own. “When do I ever like your plans, Theo?”
“Yeah, well, you’re really not going to like this one.” He pressed a tender kiss to Galen’s lips, and then ran a hand down his chest to cup his cock through his lounge pants. “Let’s start a shower and take care of this.”
“You’re just trying to butter me up for some bullshit.”
“Maybe.” Theo was already turning away and moving to the shower. The muscles in his back stood out starkly against his skin. He’d lost what little color he’d gained during their exile, and he was almost as pale as Meg now. He glanced over his shoulder and raised a single dark brow. “Or maybe I just want the taste of your cock on my tongue to wash away all the bad shit that went down today.”
Well, fuck. Galen couldn’t argue with that logic.
He kicked off his pants and followed Theo into the shower.
6
Meg woke up far too early. Her shoulder ached and her face was one giant throbbing pain, but she refused to lay here and feel sorry for herself. Galen walked out of the bathroom as she climbed out of bed and pointed a finger at her. “I don’t think so. Get back in bed.”
“No.” Normally, she would try to couch that under a reasonable tone, but she wasn’t in the mood. Everything hurt and her patience was at an all-time low.
He growled at her, and she growled right back. Galen threw up his hands and raised his voice. “Theo, deal with her.”
“Deal with me.” She clenched her jaw and immediately reg
retted it. “I let you play nursemaid yesterday, because I know this whole thing freaked you the fuck out, but that stops now. I can walk, I can talk, and I’m not going to lie around and hide while you and Theo do whatever it is that you’re planning.”
His dark brows dropped. “Who’s to say we’re planning anything?”
“Don’t patronize me.”
“Fine. Fuck. Yes, we have some shit in the works.” He ran a hand over his face. “Just stay safe until we can put it into motion.” Galen ducked down and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her mouth opposite her bruise. “I’ll catch up with you later.” And then he was gone, striding out of the room. Half a second later, a click sounded as the door shut behind him.
That hadn’t gone how she’d expected. It hadn’t gone how she expected at all.
Meg walked into the bathroom to find Theo shaving. He met her gaze in the mirror, his blue, blue eyes tracking the bruise that had taken over her face at this point. “I’d ask how you’re feeling, but I imagine it’s not well.”
“You’d imagine right.” She waited, but he went back to shaving. Meg frowned, irritated that she was irritated by him not jumping all over her like Galen had. “You’re not going to order me back to bed, then?”
“Would it work if I tried?”
Damn it, she hated it when he was reasonable. “No.”
“Didn’t think so.” Theo drew the razor over his neck. “I’m sure you have a perfectly justifiable explanation for why you’re up and about instead of resting and healing.”
Okay, maybe he wasn’t going to be that reasonable. Meg lifted her chin and tried not to wince at the way her head spun. “Appearances matter.” When he didn’t immediately respond, she kept going. “Someone pushed me down the stairs yesterday, and if I hide in the room while you and Galen do whatever it is that you’re doing, then it makes all three of us look weak. It makes me look weak. I’m already the foreigner and the one who keeps making mistakes when it comes to dealing with the nobles. If I stay in bed all day today, then they’re going to think I’m running scared. They’re going to think they’re halfway to winning whatever it is that they’re trying to win. No. Screw that. I’m not scared. I’m angry.”
He finished shaving and set the razor on the edge of the sink. A quick wipe of the towel and he faced her. Meg rocked back on her heels. Even after all the time, the sight of him still knocked her for a loop. Galen was fierce and massive and scarred enough to mark his body as a warrior the same way his soul was. Theo’s face was all sharp angles that somehow came together to create a masterpiece of masculine beauty. Vivid blue eyes and a mouth made for spinning sinful lies only ensured that he was a man who made people sit up and take notice. The first time Meg had ever seen him, standing in a VIP lounge above a crowded club, her breath had stalled in her lungs the same way it was now, as if she’d inhaled and simply forgotten to exhale.
God, she loved him so much, she didn’t think her body could encompass the feeling.
“Meg?” He said her name as if it wasn’t the first time.
“Sorry. You’re just… you.” She tried for a smile and abandoned it halfway through. Meg reached up and ran her hand along the smooth line of his jaw. “What did you say?”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I know.” And she did. If she let them, Theo and Galen would stand as her sword and shield against anyone who thought to hurt her. If she was a different person, she’d even consider it. “I can’t let you fight my battles, Theo. Not even this one.” Meg might be outclassed when it came to so many people who made their home here in the palace, but she’d be damned before she let them think her a coward.
He turned and kissed her palm. “I know.” As if it was as simple as that. He knew she could stand on her own, so he didn’t plan on arguing with her.
She might have appreciated the sentiment if it didn’t make her so suspicious. “What are you two up to?”
“The plan isn’t quite in place yet.” He stepped back and moved to the closet on the other side of the bathroom. It was a massive walk-in with rows set out, each divided by who it belonged to. Theo’s wardrobe took up an entire side, while Meg’s rapidly growing dress collection competed with Galen’s simpler black on black on black ensembles. Theo pulled on a pair of slacks and straightened. “Once I have the information we need to move forward, I’ll loop both you and Galen in.”
He trusted her to stand on her own, and he asked for her trust in return. Meg didn’t want to be left out of whatever plans he intended to put into place. Theo had a habit of jumping first and figuring out if there was water on the way down. He always managed to land on his feet, but she feared that one day he wouldn’t pull it off. In the end, she couldn’t play the part of hypocrite. Not about this. “How long do you think you’ll need?”
“Not long.” He buttoned up his shirt and walked to her. Theo smoothed hair back and kissed her forehead. “A day, maybe two.”
She could last that long. She would last that long. “Okay, I can do that.”
“I love you, princess.”
“Love you, too.” She watched him walk out of the bathroom, unable to shake the feeling that something terrible was coming. It was more than the fact that she’d been attacked. Unfortunately, walking around with a bull’s eye on her back seemed to go hand in hand with being with Theo and Galen. Some days she had more of a problem with that truth than others. This time felt different, though. It wasn’t just prodding around the edges to find and exploit weak spots in their relationship. Whoever had shoved her hadn’t cared if she lived or died. Those stairs were monsters. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to land wrong on her neck.
And that would have been that.
Meg showered quickly and managed to get her hair into a halfway decent ponytail despite how badly her shoulder ached. She didn’t care. She was going to walk out of here and force everyone to look at what had been done to her. No reason to think the guilty party would react, but it couldn’t hurt to stir the waters just in case.
She dressed in a simple pair of slacks, a deep purple blouse that complimented her nasty bruise nicely, and low black heels. The bed looked particularly inviting as she headed for the door, but Meg ignored its siren call. She meant what she told Theo—she wouldn’t be the weak link. They needed to move forward as a unit, which was hellishly hard to do with Theo plotting in the background, but she could give him the couple days she promised him.
Meg opened the door and stopped short. Alys stood there, practically vibrating with worry. The smaller woman looked her over, her dark eyes wide and concerned. “Oh, Consort, you look terrible.”
“Thank you, Alys,” she said dryly. “I wasn’t aware.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it like that, of course. You look strong and sure.” Alys held up her tablet almost apologetically. “Would you like your schedule?”
“Is Noemi Huxley on it?”
She blinked. “She did reach out and say she’d like to reschedule your tea whenever it convenient for you.”
The last thing Meg wanted to do was have tea with Noemi while they sat around and talked about things that really didn’t matter. But there was no ignoring the fact that the attack on her had come at a specific time. She’d been wandering the halls of the palace for six months without an incident. It was possible that the whole thing was a giant coincidence, but until she figured it out, she would operate as if it wasn’t.
That meant she had to see Noemi.
“It’s convenient for me now. Is she in the palace?”
“Uh…” Alys flicked her fingers over her tablet and clicked a few buttons. “It appears she is staying in the Huxley suites in the west wing.
Meg glanced at her watch. “I’ll meet her in the informal dining room, the blue one.” One of these days, she’d remember what every room in the palace was called, but since they numbered at well over a hundred and each had a specific name, Meg hadn’t managed that feat quite yet. She’d been
too occupied with memorizing the Families’ lineage and how they were all interconnected with each other and with the throne. A tangled web that went back many generations. It was no wonder Theo had been so determined to take the throne. If the Fitzcharles line failed, Thalania would have a civil war on its hands. For all their politicking, no one actually wanted that.
Alys made an unhappy noise but her smile was perfectly professional. “Of course, Consort. Are you headed there now?”
“I am.” She took a step and hesitated. “If Princess Camilla is available, I’d like to invite her to either lunch or tea.”
“The King sent the princess to the country this morning.”
Removing her from the line of fire. Smart. “In that case, cancel the rest of my appointments after Noemi and reschedule.”
“Consort, you can’t.”
“I think you’ll find that I can, and that I will.” She’d spent so long being swept along with what she should be doing that she never took a step back to figure out if that was what she wanted.
Meg wanted Theo. She wanted Galen. That had been enough until now.
Maybe it was time to decide what she wanted as Consort.
She didn’t know yet, but it damn sure wasn’t to be scheduled from the time she woke up to the time she went to bed. She’d started to feel like a sideshow attraction, and the thought of spending the rest of her time in Thalania like that… No. She was done, and she was done today.
“But Consort… The schedule—”
Her new determination didn’t mean she’d throw Alys under the bus completely. Meg strove for patience and turned to face her secretary fully. “Is there anything vital on the schedule today that absolutely can’t be moved?”