by Eva Leon
“Yeah, let’s get cleaned up,” Caspian said when Jaden turned and walked away.
Caspian needed to get them together and have a meeting. Especially since part of him wished that Jaden hadn’t just watched. Caspian’s exhausted cock got partially stiff again at the thought of him joining them.
Chapter Eleven
Caspian
Entering the cabin felt like the biggest walk of shame ever. Jaden knew what Caspian and Tate had done in the forest, and he’d no doubt told Xavier.
“I think we all need to talk,” Caspian said anxiously. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for this to fester.”
“Sure,” Xavier said first, and Caspian could hear the hint of jealousy in his voice. “I think we need to talk about this too.”
“How about we go out and sit on the beach,” Caspian said. “I need to be near the water for this.”
“Why, so you can escape?” Jaden said completely seriously, but then he cracked a smile and laughed. “I’m kidding. I’m sorry about that. Yeah, let’s go talk.”
The four of them went back out to the beach and quickly set the fire up again. It was daylight and they didn’t need it for warmth, but it seemed like the thing to do.
Once the fire was started and they were all gathered round, it got very quiet for a few minutes. Everyone stared at the fire or out at the ocean.
Jaden finally broke the silence. “I’m okay with what happened between Tate and Caspian in the forest. I thought I would be furious when I found them together, but I wasn’t.”
“That’s good because I’m not giving him up,” Tate said. “I won’t do it.”
“I don’t want to give up any of you,” Caspian said shyly. “And I want to be with Xavier too.” Caspian couldn’t believe what he’d said, but it was his truth.
“You want to be with all of us?” Tate asked. “And we’re supposed to be okay with that?”
“I don’t know what I expect,” Caspian replied. “All I know is what I want, and I’m being honest with all of you. I won’t choose.”
The Alphas were silent for a moment, as if they were thinking over Caspian’s words. Cas felt like he couldn’t breathe while he waited, and for a moment, the urge to run into the sea and disappear forever was almost overwhelming. Tate was the first to speak.
“I’m okay with that,” he said and rubbed the stubble peppering his chin. “I can share. I’d rather do that then not have you at all. Xavier and Jaden are my best friends in the world. I could see us all sharing a life together.”
Caspian felt relief wash over him. It flooded his body and slowed the pounding rhythm of his heart. He flung himself into Tate’s arms and whispered “thank you” against the Alpha’s neck.
When Cas stepped back from the embrace, Jaden and Xavier were nodding. Everyone was smiling.
“Yeah, I can’t believe that I’m admitting this, but that actually sounds pretty perfect,” Jaden said. “I’m not feeling any of the jealousy I’d expected.”
“Xavier?” Caspian asked. “What about you?”
“Honestly, I’d do whatever it takes to make you happy, baby. If this is what you want, there’s no way that I could tell you no.”
And that’s how it was decided. Somehow, Caspian was the fated mate of all three of his Alphas, and he was okay with that. They all brought something different to the relationship, and it was the perfect fit. He couldn’t imagine having to choose one of them, and he didn’t have to.
The rest of the afternoon was spent sunning on the beach or doing chores around the cabin. Xavier made dinner over the fire pit again, and by the time the sun set, everyone was relaxed.
Without saying much, Jaden and Tate retreated into the cabin. They seemed to know that Caspian and Xavier needed time alone.
Xavier and Cas sat on the beach watching the sun dip down to the horizon. It lit up the sky in brilliant shades of orange and pink.
“Are you really okay with this?” Caspian finally asked. “I know it probably wasn’t what you expected or were hoping for.”
“It’s not what I expected,” Xav agreed. “But having you with me and knowing you want to be with me is exactly what I was hoping for. Maybe this isn’t the way I thought it would happen, but that doesn’t change how happy it makes me.”
Caspian studied Xavier’s face for a moment. There was a softness there that he hadn’t seen with the other two Alphas. Xavier was the quieter, sweeter one of the bunch.
“I’m happy too, Xavier. I’m so glad you pulled me out of the water the other day.”
“I have something to say, and it’s going to sound crazy, but I have to just put it out there. I don’t know how I know this already, but I’m in love with you, Caspian,” Xavier said. “You mean the world to me, and I would do anything for you. Whatever happens, I think this was all meant to be. I feel like I was missing a piece of myself until I met you, and now I’m whole again too.”
“Wow,” Caspian said. “You know, I think I’m in love with you too. It just sort of happened. I guess that’s what they mean when they say you fall in love. We’ve fallen into each other.”
Xavier kissed Cas, and white-hot bliss shot through Caspian’s body. Every part of him, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, buzzed with warm, fuzzy emotion. He could feel the love Xavier had for him throughout his entire body.
“Lay back,” Xavier said softly.
Caspian did, and Xavier slowly pulled off the Omega’s shorts. Xav took his clothes off as well and positioned himself between Caspian’s legs.
“Is this okay?” Xav asked quietly. “Can I make love to you like this? I want to see your face. I want to kiss your lips while I’m inside you.”
Caspian nodded his head yes, and Xavier kissed him. Their lips pressed together for a few moments before Cas moaned and opened his mouth slightly.
Xavier’s manhood rubbed against his own while their tongues danced in a slow spiral. It wasn’t long before Caspian was hungry for more. He needed to feel his Alpha inside him, and his hips thrusted up involuntarily, seeking more stimulation.
Xav sat back so that he was upright on his knees. He looked into his Omega’s eyes for a while, and then slipped two fingers into Caspian’s ass. His other hand reached out and wrapped around Cas’s cock.
“Please,” Caspian pleaded.
The Alpha offered him a smile and replaced his fingers with the head of his cock. Xavier pushed into him slowly. It was pure torture for Caspian, but it was good.
Xavier made love to Caspian softly in the light of the moon, with the sound of the waves lapping the beach behind them. It wasn’t the hard, frenzied fucking the other two Alphas had given Cas, but it satisfied him in a different way.
As Caspian laid in Xavier’s arms, it occurred to him that the call of the sea was still beautiful, but it was far less of an obsession for him. He thought that perhaps the key to life on land was to have a strong link to someone there, and Caspian had three.
“We should get back,” Xavier said. “The fire is dying.”
“Yeah,” Caspian agreed. “I want to call my father again. Is that okay?”
“Sure, of course,” Xavier said and helped Cas to his feet. “Let’s go get the satellite phone.”
Caspian thought as they walked up the beach that his mother should have returned. Her bond to Kris should have been enough to hold her to the shores. Cas needed to ask his father a question.
“Caspian, is that you?” Kris said into the phone as soon as he picked up.
“Yes, it’s me. I had something I wanted to discuss with you.”
“Are you okay? You sound okay,” Kris said franticly.
“I’m fine, Father. Don’t worry about me. I promise I am well taken care of, but I need to ask you something. Were you and my mother having marital problems when she left?”
“No, Caspian. We weren’t. I loved your mother beyond reason, and I was sure she felt the same way about me. What she gave up to be with me was incredible, and I thought it mea
nt that we were destined to grow old together. That’s why I was so shattered when she didn’t come home,” Kris said.
“What she gave up to be with you?” Caspian said. “You mean the ocean? What if was me, Father? What if she left because she didn’t want me. Maybe having a kid made her feel like it was impossible to go back to the life she wanted.”
“Caspian, your mother gave up more than the ocean for me. I’m sorry no one ever told you who you are. But I assure you that if your mother wanted to go back, she could have taken you with her. She knew that you were like her. She would have had a whole staff to care for you.”
“What do you mean? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Caspian, your mother was a princess. She was in line to be queen of her people. She was heir to the throne, and so are you.” Kris sounded defeated. Caspian figured his father had given up any hope of Caspian staying. “She gave up her throne for me, but she didn’t have to give it up for you. She could have taken you with her. That’s why I just don’t understand. I’m sorry that I don’t have more answers for you.”
When Caspian hung up, he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. He was a prince, and there was an entire kingdom that belonged to him out there in the sea. A kingdom that he, like his mother, would have to forsake for the people he loved.
But could he really do that?
Chapter Twelve
Caspian
Caspian sat bolt upright in bed. He’d drifted off to sleep shortly after getting off the phone with his father. Cas had been emotionally and physically exhausted by the day.
It wasn’t a surprise that nightmares might plague him, but he quickly realized the loud thumping sound and bright lights were no dream. There was a helicopter landed on the beach a few hundred feet away from the cabin.
Cas watched in horror as four people hopped out of the helicopter and began moving down the beach toward the cabin. The Alphas woke up seconds after Caspian.
Tate looked outside and signaled for everyone to go out the back door. They had little time to do anything other than slip their sandals on and head out.
The four moved quickly and quietly through the vegetation of the forest. Xavier took the lead. They were trying to get to his truck without alerting the people on the beach to the location of their only means of escape.
Unfortunately, they had to move out into the open for a moment. The sound of gunfire made the Omega’s heart almost stop. Caspian whipped around at the sound of Xavier’s anguished cry. The Alpha had been hit, and blood gushed from a shoulder wound.
“Stop, you fools,” Conrad called from a distance. “You’ll hit the asset. He has to be brought in alive and unharmed.”
Caspian quickly stepped in front of the other Alphas to prevent the men from shooting his lovers. Jaden helped Xavier stay steady on his feet, and they all reached the truck thanks to the break in the gunshots.
Caspian climbed into the back seat on the passenger side while Jaden took the wheel. Tate helped Xavier into the back seat and handed Caspian his shirt.
“Put pressure on the wound,” Tate said before hopping into the front passenger seat. “Let’s go,” he said to Jaden.
They were able to escape because Xavier knew the back roads well enough that they were able to avoid their pursuers completely. Xavier was in pain, but he was able to stay conscious and direct Jaden where to go on the pitch-black dirt roads.
After a couple of hours on the road, Jaden pulled into a deserted parking lot. The building in front of them was a small, twenty-four-hour clinic that was the closest thing to a hospital they could get to without driving for several more hours.
Inside was a doctor who treated Xavier’s gunshot wound without asking any questions. The doctor also gave Xavier a shot of Demerol and another of antibiotics as well as a bottle of painkillers with a woman’s name on the label.
“I can’t take these if someone else needs them,” Xavier said as Tate paid the doctor with a wad of cash.
“She doesn’t need them anymore. She died a week ago,” the doctor said gravely, but he didn’t elaborate further.
On the way out the door, the doctor handed Xavier a sling. Once they were back out at the truck, Caspian helped Xavier get his arm into the sling before helping him into the back seat of the truck to rest.
“What are we going to do now?” Caspian asked once he had Xavier comfortable. “Where can we go?”
“I have an idea,” Jaden said. “Do you all have a passport?”
“Mine’s at the hotel,” Caspian admitted.
“Well, I could get you a fake, but that will take too much time. If we can get yours from the hotel, it would be a lot easier.”
“That means going back to the island. I don’t know if that’s a good risk.”
“There are ferries running from early morning to late at night,” Xavier said through the fog of the pain medicine. “By the time we get to the dock, the ferry will be running again. We could probably be on and off the island in under an hour.”
“I thought most people flew onto the island,” Tate said.
“They do, but there are a lot of people who work at the resorts that live on the mainland. They can’t afford to live on the island. The ferries get them to work.”
“Fine,” Tate said. “If that will be quicker than buying Caspian a fake, then let’s get it done.”
Caspian grabbed Tate’s arm before he climbed into the truck. “I need to learn how to defend myself. I need to learn how to fight.”
“I promise I will teach you when there is more time. For now, you let us handle that. We’ll protect you,” Tate said and kissed Caspian’s forehead.
Chapter Thirteen
Jaden
Jaden sat in the driver’s seat tapping on the steering wheel nervously. He had stayed behind in the truck with Caspian and Xavier while Tate took the ferry to the island to retrieve Cas’s passport from the hotel. Ultimately, they’d decided it was better if only one of them went. That left him alone to protect two people, and he wasn’t sure he was comfortable with both of their lives in his hands. But he was an Alpha, so he would do his duty to protect his mate and his best friend.
“Where are we going?” Caspian asked when he couldn’t take the silence anymore. “What is your plan?”
“We’re going to see my father. He’s a security guard at a lab just across the border in the U.S. He can get us into the lab. I think we need to run some more tests with you.”
“You want to experiment on me?”
“Caspian, come on. Nothing like that. Just some minor tests. I promise nothing invasive,” Jaden answered. “Then, I think my father can help us find somewhere to stay. He probably knows some place we can hide.”
“Why would he know that?” Caspian asked curiously.
“He’s former military intelligence. My father’s still got some connections. He just works security at the lab to keep himself busy, but his top-secret clearance is a big reason he got the job.”
“Is that how you learned to hack?”
“It’s not like he taught me, but he didn’t discourage my learning process if you know what I mean. One thing he did teach me was to trust no one. It did turn me into kind of a paranoid nut job.”
“I don’t think you’re a paranoid nut job, Jaden. I’m glad you’re so cautious. It makes me feel much safer.”
“I’m glad you feel that way,” Jaden said with a relieved smile.
A few minutes later, Tate returned, carrying one of Caspian’s bags. He got into the truck and handed the Omega his things.
“The hotel manager had these in his office,” Tate said. “Your friends left it for you. They’ve returned home.”
“Good,” Caspian said. “That means at least they are safe.”
As they drove off, Jaden filled Tate in on his plan. Tate didn’t seem entirely pleased with the news, but since he didn’t have another plan, he held his tongue.
Chapter Fourteen
Caspian
They pull
ed up in front of the lab where Jaden’s father worked late in the evening. Jaden got out of the truck and walked up to the front of the building where his father waited for him. James, Jaden’s father, didn’t normally work the overnight shift, but fortunately for the Alphas and Caspian, someone had called in sick. James had volunteered to take the shift. Otherwise, he would have had to come up with an excuse as to why he was there.
Jaden returned a couple of minutes later and told the others to follow him inside. Jaden quickly introduced the others to his father, and then James led them to a lab in the building’s basement.
“I’ll keep a lookout, and when you’re gone, I’ll make sure all traces of your being here are gone,” James said as he opened the lab’s door and let them in.
“Thank you for your help,” Caspian said.
James gave the Omega a nod and then left to keep watch. Jaden went after his father, and Caspian assumed that Jaden must have had more to discuss with him.
While Tate got the equipment ready for the tests he and Jaden had discussed on the ride, Caspian made a makeshift bed out of chairs he found in the lab. After taking another pain pill, Xavier settled down and drifted off to sleep.
Tate drew some blood and took a few cell scrapings from Caspian’s skin. Once he was done, Caspian watched as Tate put the various samples into the lab machines.
While they waited, Tate told Caspian that he’d show him a few grappling moves that Caspian could use to incapacitate an attacker.
By the time they were done with the Krav Maga moves, both Tate and Caspian were sweaty and panting. Caspian had barely begun to catch his breath when Tate pulled him to his chest, the Alpha crushing his lips against his Omega’s mouth.
Caspian felt his body grow hot, and Jaden’s erection pressed against his hip. The strenuous exercise must have caused him to release a flood of hormones that had intoxicated the virile Alpha.
Tate began to undo Caspian’s fly when one of the machine’s beeped. Both turned to look at the equipment and both let out a frustrated sigh.