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B y the time they got to the wharf, the living boat had been completely destroyed.

Moargan rushed out of the hover car, only to be stopped by two Luminary guards who’d been stationed by the dock.

“It’s too dangerous to enter, Imperial Moargan.” The captain of the fire department pointed toward the ravaged collection of wood, aluminum and fiberglass that had once been Aviel and Yure’s home. Thank fuck they hadn’t been inside the place when it had blown up. “We’re still investigating what caused the explosion. It’s a miracle that the entire structure hasn’t sunk.”

“That’s because it was decently built, you moron,” Yure snarled. Moargan hadn’t seen his friend waiting in the shadows, looking properly shaken up.

“I’m so sorry, my friend.” Moargan clasped Yure on the shoulder, hauling him in for a quick hug. His best friend had practically grown up in this place that had belonged to his family. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. If the fire was intentional, we’ll punish the ones responsible.”

“I appreciate that.” Yure pulled his coat tighter. He was shivering. From the shock or the cold, Moargan wasn’t sure.

He searched around. “Where’s Aviel?”

Yure snorted. “You know him. He never listens. He managed to worm himself inside the place with the fire brigade and is checking the remainders of our ho—” his voice broke and Yure took a deep breath “—of the boat .”

All around them, uniforms were barging around. Orders were given and yellow tape was rolled out to make sure the curious audience was kept at a safe distance.

“Moargan?” Cyprian asked. “Maybe we should let the authorities do their job?”

Moargan turned around to face his Royal Consort. He’d completely forgotten that Cyprian had followed him outside the car and onto the crime scene. Swiping his thumb over Cyprian’s lower lip, Moargan pressed a kiss in the corner of his mouth. “I’ll have someone take you to the car. Wait for me there, I’ll be with you shortly.”

“What? No! You can’t just send me away like I’m some bratty child.”

“Are you?”

Cyprian’s gaze narrowed at the insinuation. “Of course not.”

Morgen huffed out a laugh. “Exactly. So be good and wait for me in the car. Vandor! Lock Cyprian inside and guard him with your life. I’ll be right back.”

The junior general nodded and stalked over.

Cyprian’s cheeks blushed, and his yellow eyes flashed with annoyance. “No. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Cyprian,” Moargan clipped, but his Royal Consort ignored him.

Vandor hesitated a beat before grabbing Cyprian by the shoulder. “Come with me to the car.”

Moargan’s lips painted into a smile at the way Cyprian fought Vandor. He was no match for the robot guard, though it would be amusing to see where this would go.

Nowhere, as it seemed because Cyprian gave up with a snarl. He yanked himself free from Vandor’s grip. “I can walk by myself, thank you very much.”

His hips swayed sensually in the tight leather pants and that skimpy tank as he walked to the car, white cloak long discarded.

“If he’s doing that on purpose…” He growled to himself.

There was a loud bang and they all jumped.

“Two street lights just burst!” Someone called out.

Moargan grumbled when Cyprian turned over his shoulder, a challenge in his yellow gaze, his chin pointed up. He let out a delicate sniff, then disappeared through the opened door.

Moargan couldn’t help but smile to himself. What a catch.

The captain of the fire brigade was back, this time with Aviel hot on his tail. Moargan wasn’t sure where his friend had found the bright yellow uniform.

“We found the source of the explosion. It was a data chip.”

“A data chip?”

“No, the data chip, Moargan.” Aviel wiggled his brows. “It seems a virus was installed in your man’s empty folders.”

The captain nodded. “Our specialists will still need to go through all the details. We haven’t finished our investigation yet.”

Moargan turned over his shoulder to where Cyprian sat waiting for him in the car. He looked back, mind racing. Could Cyprian have tried to murder Aviel and Yure? It sounded absurd and something his brilliant, complicated Royal Consort wouldn’t do.

“Installing spyware and explosives onto a data chip. That sounds like a complicated job to do.”

The captain pinched the bridge of his nose while Aviel chuckled. “As I say, we haven’t concluded our investigation yet. I am no expert, but I would think that would involve advanced technical skills.”

“Exactly. Cyprian is an art student,” Moargan said.

Aviel snorted, chuckling under his breath. “What are you implying? That your precious Cyprian doesn’t have the brain to frame us?” He shook his head, letting out a tssk. “I say he’s a bit of a bad boy. We’ve just got to figure out how bad.” His eyes flashed with delight.

Moargan contemplated his options. There was no way Cyprian had faked his desire to meet his biological parents, of that he was sure. But… his mind zoomed in on the only other possibility.

“Whatever was on that chip was important enough to kill for.” He thought out loud.

Aviel tilted his head from left to right. “What are you implying?”

Moargan shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve got no fucking clue what’s going on, or if Cyprian is involved.”

“Well, whatever’s behind this—” Aviel glanced over at the smothering remainders of the boat. “We will drag it out from the shadows and punish it properly.”

They stared at each other, amethyst and gold glimmering with understanding.

The captain cleared his throat. He looked uncomfortable. “I will be in touch with you as soon as we can confirm our findings.”

“Thank you.” Moargan shook his hand, then turned back to Aviel. “Tell Yure to grab whatever is left of his belongings, if anything. I'll have your rooms prepared.”

On his way back to the car he called Helianth. There were still people lingering in the hope of a glimpse of anything.

Suddenly, his gaze picked up on a glimpse of platinum hair in the crowd. Curls, just like he’d seen before. His purple gaze searched around, but whoever he’d just seen, had vanished.

“Hey.” Helianth sounded tired.

“Congratulations on your catch,” Moargan teased. “Are you pleased? ”

“Catch. You could hardly call that a catch. The guy was a spluttering mess, although he was a good fuck.”

“I bet you say that to all the boys.”

Helianth let out his disdained huff, making Moargan laugh even louder. “We’re going to keep an eye on him. I take it you’ve already let him go?”

“Yeah. He was too weak to be a soldier and I’m in no need for slaves. Where are you?”

“Outside Yure’s boat. It exploded.”

There was silence. “ What ?”

Moargan grimaced at the thought of Yure’s sad expression.

“Why? How?”

“I can hear your mind racing from here,” Moargan teased. His brother, the eternal detective to be. “A data chip contained artificial dynamite. As for the why, we don’t know yet.”

“Do you want me to come over?”

“No. We’ll talk again when the fire brigade has finalized its investigation. But let’s just keep an eye on Theo. Aside from Cyprian, he’s the only one who touched that chip. I’d bet my money he’s lied to us.”

“Okay, will do. Honestly, it’s not a burden to keep the guy a little closer.”

Moargan snorted at that, then climbed into the car and sat down next to Cyprian. Something was up. And though he couldn’t grasp it, he could sense it. He eyed Cyprian who sat staring outside the window, his mind far away. There was no way he would have known how to download spyware onto that chip. He had no reason to. Right?

Then Theo. He had stolen the chip. Perhaps he had known how to contaminate the data before removing all the files. But then, Theo had been caught. People didn’t tend to lie once they had been arrested. It would take one determined motherfucker to lie to an Imperial.

This whole incident left Moargan feeling on edge.

Once they entered the mansion, he patted Cyprian on his ass, ignoring how his Royal Consort scowled at him.

“Take a shower, lover. Prep yourself for me.” Toeing off his shoes, Moargan padded to the window, a red cinder cigarette in hand. “And keep the door open, I want to see you do it.” When Cyprian opened his mouth to protest, he simply held up his hand. “Enough. You will obey. Tonight, I’m not in the mood for games. The house is swarmed with Luminary, and you don’t want Yure and Aviel barging in here while I’m fucking you. Or do you?”

Cyprian pressed his lips tight, yellow eyes brimming with rage.

“What, little aeon ? Are you going to explode some more lights? There’s nothing you can do that I can’t repair.” When he took a step in his direction, Cyprian hissed like a cornered cat but turned on his heel and got inside the bathroom. “Door, lover. Keep it open. I want to see.”

Moargan could feel Cyprian’s glower even with him hidden behind the glass door of the shower. Though his vision was blurred, Moargan could only imagine Cyprian using the bottle of lube, fingerfucking his ass to get it nice and slick for Moargan’s cock.

He tipped his head back and exhaled a puff of red smoke. Fuck yeah, he was ravenous. Today had made him furious. Before Cyprian, he would have used any upsetting occasion to call for an Aureate, to have some poor bastard run around in trembling fear before he tracked them down and struck.

Moargan licked his jewelled incisors at those bittersweet memories. There were too many to bring up any specific events and he’d equally loved fucking or killing them. Still, there was something deliciously dark about the way his brother used a soft hand with his victims. He was good at just standing there, waiting, feigning the illusion there was still a way out. And then …

Bang .

He’d attack.

“I’m ready.” Cyprian stood in the door opening, a towel wrapped around his lithe frame, covering his pale, smooth skin and those long, sculpted limbs. Looking anywhere but at him.

“No, you’re not.” Flicking the cigarette away, Moargan got up, not missing how his Royal Consort flinched.

“I am.” Cyprian tilted his chin in defiance.

Heat flared through Moargan’s groin. “Drop the towel and lay on the bed, legs bent. Then you are ready. Do it now, aeon .”

Cyprian pinched his lips and glared at him. Then he tore away the towel and stalked to the bed, the back of his head hitting his pillow. He swallowed, then lifted his legs, bending them at the knee.

“Fuck, yeah. Look at that beautiful, pink, little hole.” Moargan moved to the head of the bed and undressed. Then he climbed onto the bed and settled between Cyprian’s spread thighs, stroking his own cock with lube.

“I’ve already told you this before. I’m not a good person. Those who get in my way, always regret it.” He grabbed hold of Cyprian’s rigid dick and gave it a few firm strokes with his lubed hand, before sliding down and to his heavy balls.

Cyprian sucked in a ragged breath, nodding.

“Imagine that I’d find out that you were somehow responsible for today’s fire. What do you think I’d do to you?” Leaning in, Moargan’s mouth found Cyprian’s and he placed a soft kiss, before licking a line down, over the curve of his Adam’s apple to his nipple. He felt Cyprian tremble below him, breath hitching and knees trembling.

“You’d kill me.”

Moargan’s teeth came out and nipped at the erect nub, circling it until Cyprian let out a high-pitched moan. “Hmm.” tracing his way to the other nipple, Moargan sucked until both were perfectly erect. “A gorgeous creature like yourself?” His mouth traced further down, and Cyprian's chest heaved as he dipped his chin, watching Moargan’s every move.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His heartbeat was rapid. Moargan couldn’t help but wonder if it was purely desire.

“You’d make me a s-soldier.”

“Nah.” Moargan flicked his tongue over the head of Cyprian’s flushed crown, smiling when his property gasped. He looked up as he licked away the stickiness. “I’d keep you. That’s a promise I made myself. But if it turns out that you are not who you say you are, you’ll live in punishment. In pain. In a state of burning desire that will never be satisfied. Now, beg for me to fuck you.”

Cyprian’s cock twitched when Moargan took it in his mouth, suckling it and sliding down until he had most of it inside.

“I—” Cyprian choked out, writhing on the bed. His hand landed on Moargan’s blond hair and he brushed the strands. “F-fuck me.” He finally managed. “Please.”

Slowly pulling off Cyprian’s cock, Moargan smiled at him. “At your service. Though I must warn you.” Grabbing Cyprian’s legs and hooking them over his shoulders, Moargan winked. “This will be a fast one. You’ve got me all worked up, lover.” He entered his ass ungracefully, though the tightness and heat that enveloped his eager cock had his breath stutter.

Cyprian’s eyes burned from the sting, but after a few experimental rolls, his mouth fell open, going slack.

Moargan thrust hard and fast as he leaned in to kiss every inch of exposed skin he could reach. It made his Royal Consort squirm and pant and his cock jolt in Moargan’s firm grip.

“I’m going to come,” Cyprian warned, voice hoarse from desire.

Moargan’s lips found the delicate skin of Cyprian’s throat. He was close himself, balls tightening and his thrusts causing a delicious build-up that was about to erupt in bliss. Opening his mouth, he let out his incisors and broke Cyprian’s skin, need thrumming his insides.

Cyprian screamed, come filling Moargan’s hand as his cock jerked and he let out moan after moan. “Oh—it’s too much?—”

Moargan came on a growl, tongue darting out to taste Cyprian’s bleeding skin as he pumped through his climax until all he could do was lay still and pant.

And think. There were too many thoughts, swirling inside his head and driving him nuts. He looked down at Cyprian, at his handsome features. He touched his warm, soft skin. He hadn’t lied. He could feel it in the thrum that formed their unique melody.

They laid there for a long time.

Those unwinding thoughts slowly settled as finally a sense of respite kicked in. Moargan’s worry dissipated as peace fogged his mind. He watched as Cyprian left the bed, ass dripping with his come, and went to the bathroom to relieve himself. He came back with two glasses of water.

They eyed each other as they drank, the silence strangely comfortable.

Cyprian crawled into his armpit and let out a soft hum when he pressed Moargan’s arm close around his shoulders, caving himself in. He yawned. Barely a minute later, he was asleep.