Dawn crept into his bedroom, the soft light spilling through the faded curtains and painting the walls in hues of gold and pale blue. Celestio stirred when the faint warmth touched his skin. His eyes fluttered open, and for a moment he simply lay there, blinking up at the ceiling as the events of the night before came back to him.

  His bed felt unusually warm, the scent of roses and spice lingering on the sheets beside him. He turned his head, his heart giving a small, involuntary leap, only to find the space next to him empty. The blankets were rumpled and still darkened in spots, but there was no sign of Sabas.

  Celestio stared at the empty spot for a long moment, his chest tightening with a mix of disappointment and resignation. He shouldn’t be surprised. Not really. Alphas didn’t need to stay. Sabas had to leave the capital that day or the next, anyway.

  He shook his head, pushing the thought away as he sat up, the blanket dropping around his waist. The chill of the morning air pricked his skin and he ran a hand through his tousled hair, trying to shake off the uncomfortable feeling that had settled over him.

  Then he heard the soft creak of the floorboard in the hallway. His heart jumped again and he turned toward the door just as Sabas appeared, a ceramic jug in one hand and a small cup in the other.

  “I thought you might be thirsty,” Sabas said, his voice low and warm, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

  Celestio blinked, caught off guard by the sight of him. The Alpha seemed to glow in the early sunlight, his blue-gray eyes and brown hair sparkling. “You’re still here,” he replied softly, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

  Sabas handed him the cup, his brows furrowing a little in confusion. “Of course I am,” he said obviously. “Where else would I be?”

  Celestio glanced away and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. The skin was tender but there was no wound. That’s right – he had actually fallen asleep with the Alpha in his bed, and he had trusted him not to mark the Omega’s pheromones with his own. A trust that, miraculously, had not been misplaced.

  Sabas poured him some water. It didn’t taste strange at first sip and Celestio gulped it down, his throat sore from the night’s exertion. The quiet between them was comfortable, the kind of silence that didn’t need to be filled. Sabas sat on the edge of the bed, watching Celestio while the Omega grew more alert.

  “I warmed up some water on the stove so we can wash up. I hope that isn’t any trouble to you.”

  “Not at all.” Celestio certainly couldn’t go to the castle while covered in an Alpha’s scent.

  Then another thought struck him, and he quickly climbed to his feet, crossing the room before his legs could reveal their unsteadiness. He uncorked the small bottle on the table near the mantel and poured the shot of his suppressant he needed to take before even thinking about approaching the castle.

  Sabas tilted his head slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “Is that the suppressant?”

  Celestio nodded and held his breath as he tossed the liquid down, though he couldn’t stop his face from twisting at the foul taste. “I usually take it in the evening, but this will have to do.”

  Sabas watched him in silence. “Do you have to take it every day?” he asked.

  Celestio nodded again.

  “But isn’t it…” He hesitated, searching for the right words. “I have heard that long-term use of suppressants can be dangerous for one’s health.”

  Celestio gave him a faint, bitter smile. “It’s necessary,” he said quietly. “My position at court depends on it. Nothing is worth risking that.”

  ‘Not even you,’ he wanted to say – though, the mere thought of the words caused his chest to hurt.

  Sabas frowned, but he didn’t argue. He crossed the room, stopping just a few steps away from Celestio. Celestio clutched the small glass in his hands and closed the remaining distance, resting his head on the man’s shoulder. Sabas’s body was softer now, though he knew the Alpha could easily pull him back to the bed if he wanted to.

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  If Celestio asked him to.

  “Suppressed or not,” Sabas murmured into his ear, “your scent is beautiful.”

  They stood there for a moment, the morning light casting soft shadows across them. Then Sabas raised his arms, his hands brushing against Celestio’s bare back. “We don’t have to go to the castle right now, do we? I want to make you breakfast.”

  Celestio nodded against his shoulder, unable to meet his gaze. “We use the basin in the corner of the kitchen to wash up.”

  “Then, you wash first while I cook for you.”

  “That would be nice.”

  Sabas’s hands ran up and down Celestio’s back. “And I can take care of your neck,” he said, his voice tinged with guilt. “I’m not sure how much I….”

  Celestio smiled onto the Alpha’s shoulder. “My shirt collar will cover it,” he assured him.

  He closed his eyes. Part of him wished Sabas would take him back to his bed. But he needed to return to his duties, and ensure that the castle was still running smoothly after the previous night’s… festivities. And Edess would surely need extra care that day.

  Celestio pulled away from Sabas and turned back to the small table, checking that the cork was tightly in place as images from the storeroom flashed in his mind. Seeing his prince in the middle of –

  He heard Sabas move, his soft footsteps fading into the hall and down the narrow staircase. He lifted his face to the ceiling and sighed. Despite the warmth of Sabas’s presence, Celestio couldn’t help but feel a faint thread of suspicion curling in the back of his mind. The other man was an Alpha, after all. Trust was a rare and dangerous commodity in his world, and no matter how genuine Sabas seemed, Celestio knew how dangerous it was to let his guard down completely.

  Then his eyes drifted to his study door.

  The door that linked his bedroom and his study, with its unsolvable squeaky hinges that could wake the dead when moved, was still closed. Sabas hadn’t so much as tried to enter the personal study of the advisor to the most important person in the kingdom.

  His heart fluttered again.

  He pulled the dirty blankets from his bed and took them downstairs, loosely folding them to hide the fresh stains and tossing them into a corner of the front room. If the servant didn’t come in time, he could take them to the castle to wash himself. Back in the kitchen, Sabas stirred the eggs sizzling in the pan. “It’s not much, but your cupboards aren’t fully stocked,” he apologized.

  “I appreciate anything.”

  “Are you sure you need to go in?” Sabas pressed again. “Surely the regular happenings in the castle will be running at a delay.”

  “Someone has to keep things running on schedule,” Celestio replied dryly, moving toward the large basin in the kitchen’s corner. “Prince Edess certainly won’t be in any condition to do anything today, and I doubt many of the servants will have much strength, either.”

  They took turns washing in the large basin while the residual heat on the stove finished cooking their breakfast. Sabas took the towel from Celestio and gently pushed him to turn around. He firmly washed the Omega’s back, taking care to lighten his touch around Celestio’s neck. Celestio still flinched, his pheromone glands incredibly tender from Sabas’s constant attention during the night. Still, he couldn’t fault the Alpha for the stinging pain. The feeling of being cared for was strange. Being doted on… he wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it.

  He took the towel back and cleaned Sabas’s back, and he couldn’t help but admire the red scratches he had left on the Alpha.

  “It’s no wonder His Highness relies on you so much,” Sabas finally said. “You are dutiful to a fault.”

  Celestio blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected praise. He looked away, his cheeks faintly flushed. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere,” he said, a little sharper than he intended.

  Sabas didn’t let Celestio’s tone put him off of his good mood. “I’m already where I want to be.”

  Celestio shook his head, mumbling something about Alphas, but there was no real heat in his words. If anything, he felt a faint warmth inside him, something he didn’t quite know how to name. He wiped Sabas’s hairline, his fingertips brushing on the Alpha’s pheromone glands, and then he laid the towel on the edge of the wash basin for the next time the servant came to gather his laundry. Sabas stepped back to the stove, checking on the eggs.

  “I do need to make something clear, before we return to the castle,” Celestio said.

  Sabas glanced back at him.

  “No one can know about this. Not the prince, not your family, not anyone. Ever.”

  Sabas frowned, his expression clouding. “Why not? I mean, I understand the need to be discreet in your position, but –”

  “It’s not just about discretion,” Celestio interrupted firmly. “If any Alphas who pass through the court believe that I am… open game, it could ruin everything I have worked for. Not just me; it would put His Highness’s own power into jeopardy. I can never allow that to happen.”

  Sabas’s jaw tightened, a flicker of frustration flashing in his eyes. But he saw the tension in Celestio’s posture and he forced himself to take a breath. “‘Open game’?” he said finally, reluctantly. “I understand. I promise I won’t breathe a word to anyone.”

  Celestio nodded, the faintest hint of relief flickering across his face. “Thank you.”

  Sabas hesitated for a moment before stepping closer, his voice soft. “For what it’s worth,” he said, “I wouldn’t let any of them harm you. Over my dead body.”

  Celestio couldn’t bring himself to meet the man’s eyes.

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