Page 36 of The Frog Prince (The GriMM Tales #6)

Sixteen

Alwin

H e didn’t want it to end. He didn’t want to put a stop to the magic between them. Everything inside him screamed that if he got up now, if he let Otto out of his arms, out of his body, that would be it. He’d never have him again.

But Otto had obligations and a heart that yearned to help others, and Alwin refused to stand in the way of that.

He allowed himself one more kiss to Otto’s neck, then stood, his cheeks heating at the squelching sound that followed and the image of Otto soaked in Alwin’s release.

“I…apologize.” He looked around, trying to locate his scattered clothing, uncomfortably aware that he was fully naked in front of Otto. Fully exposed in all of his inhuman glory. Green skin, long limbs, a soft cock hanging between his legs without balls to rest on. More frog than human.

He grabbed his shirt and rushed to get dressed, but a hand wrapped around his ankle, halting him.

“Alwin.” Otto tugged. “Alwin, look at me, please.”

He forced himself to meet his eyes, wringing his shirt in his hands.

“Don’t hide from me,” Otto said, standing up, messy and filthy and flushed.

Beautiful. Alwin could almost feel the marks on his back turning blue again when Otto stood before him, taking Alwin’s hands in his own and making him stop fiddling with the shirt.

“It wasn’t just the heat of the moment. I still find you stunning. ”

“Oh,” Alwin said smartly, truly wondering how all of his tutors had considered him a gifted child at one point. He was a bumbling mess.

“I do not regret this,” Otto said. “I do not wish for this to be the only time. I never, not for a singular moment of that, imagined anyone else in my arms. It’s you, Alwin. And I want all of you.”

“I…” Alwin’s eyes stung uncomfortably. “I want you too.”

“Good. Then I hope you know there is no need to apologize for this.”

Alwin watched in silent mortification as he pointed to the mess Alwin had left on his clothing.

“I could use magic.” Alwin looked around at his clothes. “I think I have—”

“No!” Otto said, and Alwin jumped in place. “You will not be bargaining pieces of yourself just to remove the evidence of what we shared.”

“You are not bothered?” Alwin asked.

Otto shook his head. “Not in the slightest. Smug? Maybe.”

“Smug?” Alwin asked, shocked by his choice of word.

“I made you feel good,” Otto said, reaching for Alwin and pulling his still-naked body into his chest. “I made you lose yourself in pleasure. It was beautiful to experience.”

“You can’t be serious,” Alwin said, feeling his markings flush.

“I’ve never been too good of a liar, as you’ve seen.”

An image of a tiny, golden-haired boy swearing he didn’t throw his golden ball into the forbidden part of the royal gardens on purpose just so he could wander around looking for it flashed before Alwin’s eyes.

He smiled softly, closing his eyes and basking in the memory and the knowledge that not everything changed.

Some things, no matter how much time passed, remained constant.

“You most certainly have not,” he said to himself. “I will have to get dressed now.”

“Pity,” Otto said, running his warm hand down Alwin’s side once more before letting him go to put his clothes back on.

“You do have a cure to find,” Alwin said, fixing his clothes.

“I’m trusting my fate to a child’s game,” Otto said dejectedly, and Alwin braved the storm to take his hand.

“I believe in you,” he said. “And there is nobody else here to see if it fails. It’s just me, and I’d never hold that against you. Try.”

“Okay.” Otto nodded in determination, and Alwin’s heart soared at the sight. He was magnificent in his desire to help. “Okay so…pick one closest to your heart. Does that mean physically closest? Or the one I like best? The prettiest one?”

Alwin watched him fret over the meaning and shook his head. “I believe it means whatever you think it does.”

“Are you certain?”

“I couldn’t possibly be,” he said with a small laugh. “But I do have some experience with magic, as you may have noticed.”

“Funny. He’s a jester now.”

“Hardly.” Alwin rolled his eyes even as he tried to hide the little pull of a smile at the corners of his lips. Otto made him happy, he realized. For the first time in years, he was happy.

“Well.” Otto looked around. “I think I will go find the one I like best.”

“A wise decision,” Alwin said. He watched as Otto walked around the clearing, crouching down next to each ring of Blue Moons, inspecting, reaching out, as if calling out to them and asking them to help him make a decision.

Alwin watched those strong legs flex as he walked, the phantom feeling of them under his thighs making him overheat.

He watched his long fingers and salivated at the thought of feeling them inside his body.

He ran his gaze up and down Otto’s body, strangely proud of the pleasure his own unnatural form provided.

He put that gentle smile on Otto’s face.

He made those tense shoulders relax. He made his body pliant and sated.

He wanted the world to know as much as he wanted, selfishly, to keep it for himself.

“This one.” Otto’s voice broke through his thoughts, and Alwin walked over to watch him crouch and pick it with so much care Alwin could almost hear him apologizing to the little plant for taking it from its home.

He held it in the palm of his hand, glowing and vibrant, his thumb brushing over the gentle surface as if soothing it.

“So I guess I just…” He flexed his fingers and looked at Alwin.

“That is what the song suggests, yes,” Alwin said.

“It almost feels violent to just destroy it.”

Alwin wanted to wipe his frown away.

“It is for a worthy cause, Otto.”

Otto nodded, steadying his breathing before closing his fingers around the Blue Moon. He held it enclosed for a second before letting it flutter to the ground as the song instructed.

The glow flickered softly as it fell, before dimming completely and leaving behind a tiny pile of shimmering dust.

“Oh.” Otto looked down at the powder next to his toes. “This never happened before with anything I tried. It looks like the cure I bargained for.”

“We must be on the right track then,” Alwin said, excitement bleeding into his voice. “Once more.”

Otto reached for the Blue Moon to the right of the now empty space, this time with less hesitation, face alight and eyes burning with hope.

He crushed the second Blue Moon, letting it fall and join the previous one. The glow dimmed. The pile of dust settled and mixed with the first one.

“Pick it up,” Alwin said, and Otto ripped a piece of his shirt off to create a small pouch he could scoop the Blue Moon powder into.

He made sure not a speck of it remained on the ground.

“And now…?” he said, turning to Alwin.

“And now we go back home and see if we can maybe add it to one of your tonics?” Alwin suggested. “It’s how Gisela’s cure was.”

“It can’t be that easy.” Otto clutched the pouch in his hand. “I can’t have been this close to an answer all along and not realized it sooner. I could have…”

“No.” Alwin shook his head, walking over and hurdling over his own walls to reach out to Otto and hold him against his chest. “You have done all that you could within the scope of knowledge you had. You know more now, so you will do more. There is no use despairing or wallowing in guilt, young master.”

Otto nuzzled his neck and nodded.

“So wise, my prince,” he whispered.

Alwin closed his eyes. “I do love it when you call me that.”

Otto lifted his head up imploringly. “You do?”

Alwin looked away, feeling self-conscious. “I do. You are the only one to call me that without it being a thinly veiled insult.”

“You are a prince.” Otto hesitated for a moment before he went on. “And…you are mine?”

The moment of insecurity warmed Alwin to the bone. His entire body sagged against Otto, and he closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead against Otto’s sternum.

“I am,” he whispered into the damp shirt, shivering when Otto placed a tiny kiss on the top of his head. “But we should go now, before I am unable to let go of you.”

“We should,” Otto said, “but it must be known that I do not want to be let go.”

Alwin smiled and helped Otto pack up before leading him out of the clearing. The little frog that had latched on to Otto screamed bloody murder when it realized they were leaving and promptly changed its mind about staying with them.

They pushed their way through the narrow passage in the hedge, emerging back into the damp darkness of the forest.

He tested Otto’s words, reaching out to hold his hand as they walked, his heart singing in his chest when Otto just squeezed back, swinging their joined hands between them.

Frogs hopped out to greet them, and Otto pretended he could understand them, telling them the most random things in response to whatever they were saying.

Alwin found it infinitely amusing and endearing.

Invited friends , a frog said, hopping from out of a bush and clambering up Alwin’s breeches.

“We truly feel like strudel is the superior dessert,” Otto said, but Alwin frowned, stopping in his tracks and pulling Otto to a halt alongside him.

“Friends?” he asked.

Humans , the frog said. Searching for Frog Prince and healer.

“Alwin?” Otto asked.

Alwin couldn't answer, turning around and focusing as he realized he could hear rustling leaves behind them that didn’t come from his frogs, or any other animal dwelling in the forest.

“Someone is after us,” Alwin said, releasing Otto’s hand.

“Where?” Otto asked, crowding into Alwin’s space and pulling him closer. Alwin realized he was protecting him. Defending him with the bulk of his body against a threat he couldn’t even see. No question. No hesitation.

“I can hear footsteps following after us,” Alwin said, pointing in the direction of the sounds.

“How far?” Otto whispered, eyes wide.

“I can’t be sure, but not too far.”

“It has to be Henne. We should hurry!” Otto said, but Alwin grabbed his wrist.