“That’s the point,” Ehlian said, his voice trembling slightly, a soft moan escaping when Hayce spread his legs and pushed them up towards his chest, his head dipping in the shadow. “You’re crazy. You can’t actually own—”
The memory slammed to a halt as Ehlian tore himself out of it. Cheeks flushed, he panted, his chest rising and falling heavily.
He rubbed an agitated hand over his face.
Fuck it.
Fuck this!
This wasn’t normal. These memories were the reason he couldn’t move on, the reason he kept looking up at the sky, the reason he felt that bone-deep ache, longing for an alpha who didn’t care about him. It was always the sweetest, most tender memories. Never the bad, never the cruel, never the breakup.
Hayce must have placed some kind of seal on Ehlian’s mind, forcing him to relive their moments together over and over again. There was no other explanation.
The insufferable asshole! He had made Ehlian his puppet, his possession, something to control even from hundreds of miles away. Hayce had bound Ehlian to himself, loyal to the grave.
This couldn’t go on. Whatever Hayce had done to his mind, it had to go.
The next morning, Ehlian booked an appointment with the High Sage of Alkrion.
Chapter 18
“He will see you soon,” the High Sage’s secretary said before leaving Ehlian alone in Kaice's office.
Kaice had been appointed by Prince Klain a couple of years ago, replacing the High Sage previously chosen by his father. The feud between King Cair and his firstborn son was well-known. Their animosity rarely hit the headlines, but people speculated, reading into every telling move.
The king even tried to control who his son should marry. Prince Klain, the Golden Prince, wasn’t meant to wed a low-class heir from any small or impoverished country. Or so the king believed.
Royal affairs were messy and sickening. He ought to feel lucky, really, that he wasn’t part of their world.
“I apologise for keeping you waiting,” Kaice said as he stepped into his office.
Ehlian stood and instinctively took a step back. He knew Kaice was a High-Class telepath. His appointment had been frowned upon by some, but strangely, Ehlian didn’t feel the overwhelming presence of his power. It seemed Kaice kept it contained behind a very dense mental shield.
Instead, something very soft and subtle settled around Ehlian. It was like he’d been dropped into a space where even his smallest concerns were met with quiet sympathy andunderstanding. That, Ehlian realised, Kaice most likely couldn’t or didn’t want to control. He was a Gifted. An Empath. A rarity on their planet.
Most telepaths were born with finely balanced cores, their abilities evenly distributed. But some, like Kaice, were born with imbalanced cores, where one ability—empathy, in this case—dominated.
All High Sages were Empaths, but earning the position was no simple feat.
While Ehlian didn’t know Prince Klain personally, he had always preferred the prince’s appointments and policies over his father’s. So maybe he should trust Kaice too.
Ehlian relaxed his shoulders. “I’m sorry, I’m just…”
“That’s quite alright, Ehlian,” the alpha replied. “I get that reaction a lot. If you’re not comfortable with me treating you today, we can always reschedule the appointment.”
“No!” Ehlian blurted out, then cleared his throat. “No. I want to do it today.”
Kaice remained standing a few feet away. “In that case, what can I help you with?”
“I was locked in prison for nearly a year,” Ehlian admitted reluctantly, bracing for a judgmental look, but Kaice’s expression stayed calm and neutral. “There was this alpha… I shared a cell with him. And now I have these symptoms, memories of him, ofus, that I can’t control. He had full access to his power and I think he tampered with my mind.”
“Let’s see,” Kaice said, stepping closer and raising his hand. “May I?”
Ehlian nodded and lowered his mental shield, though it made him feel a bit nervous. Rarely did anyone allow others to access their minds willingly, but if he didn’t, he’d never get rid of Hayce’s hold on him.
Kaice’s touch was gentle on his temple and soon a cautious, careful energy flowed into Ehlian’s mind. It wasn’t invasive. It felt soothing, far nicer than he had expected. As the last traces of worry bled out of him, he sensed Kaice’s careful presence circling his core, examining for any mental scars or malicious seals.
Slowly, Kaice withdrew, severing the connection completely.
