“And ifIwant children?” He didn’t. But that was beside the point.
Kelevra stilled around him. “Do you?”
“I asked first.”
He considered it. “We can speak with the Imperial doctor and find a way to make it happen—a clinical way, that does not include either one of us putting our dicks in a female body. I also insist we hire a nanny because I wasn’t joking about not being pleased over the idea of having to share you, even with our own child. But if that’s really something you want, sure.”
Rin blinked, certain he’d misheard or he’d fallen asleep and this was a dream. “What?”
“This is a good time to bring up,” Kel continued, completely oblivious to Rin’s shock, “that you are forbidden from allowing anyone other than me to touch you from here on out. I don’t share. And I won’t be made a fool. If someone flirts with you, they’ll pay. If you flirt back…” That hand tightened once before loosening as if he couldn’t control himself. “Female, male, doesn’t matter. If I catch you being unfaithful, I’ll strip you down, tan your hide, and fuck you in the middle of Center Point.”
The Academy had been constructed to form a circle, the buildings placed in a way they formed rings. At the center was Center Point, a sort of hang-out spot for cadets, and also where the most foot traffic was directed, since traveling from one side of the Academy to the other almost always involved taking a path through Center Point.
“I’m not into exhibitionism,” Rin said dumbly, because it was the only thing he could think to say.
“I’m aware.” Kel nuzzled against him. “So behave, so that neither of us has to experience any of that unpleasantness, hmm?”
Rin was way over his head. The day had been a blur, one horrible event after the other, but he’d still held onto the belief this was all a game to the Imperial Prince. That they’d wake up, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after, and he’d tell Rin he’d grown bored after all…
It was starting to look like that wasn’t going to happen, like maybe, just maybe, Kelevra was serious about all of this.
What would a lifetime of being chained to this man entail?
As third in line, Kelevra was only at risk of taking the throne if both his sisters tragically died without leaving any heirs of their own. Unlikely, since the Emperor had recently announced she was pregnant. There was no fear of being thrust into that kind of power, which was a relief. Kel was also on track to becoming the diplomatic advisor on planet. He’d greet all the incoming dignitaries who visited that his sister, the Emperor, didn’t want to bother with, as well as keep the other Royals who looked after other countries in the Emperor’s name in line.
Basically, he wouldn’t become a bum prince twiddling his thumbs and demanding to be fed grapes all day long. He had the one thing Rin had always dreamed of having. Stability. A stable and set future.
An identity all his own.
“I don’t want children,” Rin said quietly.
“Then we won’t have them,” Kel smirked in the dark. “I’ll keep you all to myself.”
“And the Academy?” He was only a sophomore. Earlier, Kelevra had promised he’d pay for his brother’s tuition, but there’d been no mention of paying off his debts as well. “I won’t quit.” It was an empty statement. If the Imperial Prince wanted him booted from the school, Rin wouldn’t be able to stop him. He’d be tossed on the streets with nowhere else to go, in the perfect predicament for Kel to swoop in and corner him—
“Who said anything about quitting?” he sounded genuinely perplexed. “Unless it interferes with you being mine, I have no intentions to involve myself in your other affairs. Stay at the Academy, don’t stay at the Academy—actually. I still have a year left. Stay. I just pictured sneaking off to make out behind the Trajectory.”
Kelevra didn’t want to waste his own time he meant. That’s why he wouldn’t get involved, not out of some sense of respect toward Rin and the things he wanted, but because it didn’t affect the Imperial Prince one way or the other.
He had to keep correcting himself when his emotions tried to make him believe otherwise. It’d been too easy to fall for this false charm the Imperial Prince was feeding him.
“If you make me do this, I’ll eventually find a way to—”
Kel coiled around him all at once, his voice darkening as he dragged his bottom lip up the rise of Rin’s cheek. “Sayescape, I dare you.”
Rin was proud, but he wasn’t so proud he couldn’t recognize the danger for what it was.
“I’ll put you on the no-fly list,” Kelevra said when Rin remained quiet. “They’ll have your picture, which means your brother won’t be able to leave either.”
“We don’t go anywhere without the other,” Rin whispered.
“Ah.” He chuckled and the sound sent a shiver rushing down Rin’s spine. “Is that it then? The magic code to crack your golden shell? How about this then, Flower. I’ll ship him off world, to an undisclosed galaxy you won’t know the name of. It’ll be far though, so far he won’t be able to find his way back even if he spent the next three decades trying.”
“Kelevra.”
“Afraid?” he asked. “Funny how you only seem to really get that way whenever your brother’s involved. You care for him more than you do yourself, that it?”
They were one in the same.
