Page 73 of The Nymph Prince

Too late in the day to talk to Father, I decided to speak with him early the following morrow.

After waking, I brushed a kiss to Alek’s forehead and covered him with the blanket. Why did he have to be so delectable? He softly sighed and leaned into me, making it damned hard to leave him.

He’d been acting strangely the past several days, and I’d caught him studying the barrier and the water beyond it. The same longing I felt in my chest had reflected in his eyes, too. He hadn’t told me his thoughts—he didn’t need to. It was written all over his handsome face. He missed his friends. His captain. Missed the ship he’d called home for so many years.

Malik walked behind me, curious but silent. I hadn’t told him my plan, knowing he wouldn’t approve of it.

Dathan saw me in the hall and smiled. “Good morrow, Your Highness. You’re up early.”

I liked that he no longer panicked when he saw me awake earlier than usual.

“I am. Will you fetch a meal for the sleeping beauty in my bed?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Dathan’s dark-blond hair fell into his face as he bowed, and when he straightened his stance, his honey eyes briefly met mine before dropping to the floor.

Well, he wasalmostcomfortable around me.

I continued toward Father’s chamber, taking deep, calming breaths. Nerves swam in my gut. I hoped he wouldn’t dismiss my idea like he often dismissed everything else.

The two guards outside his door gave curt nods to me before greeting Malik. They moved aside to let me pass and I went inside. A small hallway led to the sleeping quarters and there was a sitting area off to the other side.

The moans reached my ears instantly. I rolled my eyes.

I’d walked in on Father fucking someone way too many times. It was nothing new, yet it still left a nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach. Sex was natural to us. That didn’t mean I wanted to hear—or see—him partaking in it, though.

“Yes, my king!” a male voice exclaimed. “So, so good.”

When I rounded the corner, I saw the back of Zander. He straddled the king’s waist and rode him, his blond curls bouncing at his nape. The blanket was at his hips, thankfully, so I didn’t see much. Hands gripped Zander’s sides as Zander increased his pace. Skin slapping skin was mixed with grunts and moans.

Grimacing, I looked away and went over to the sitting area. A wall separated me from the bed, so while I was still forced to listen, at least my eyes wouldn’t burn from my skull.

“Oh, my sweet boy,” a deeper voice purred. “That’s it. Milk my cock.”

I slid down in the chair with a bored sigh. Surely, they were almost finished.

The bed banged against the wall faster and faster. Zander cried out, followed by the king’s groaning. Then, blissful silence. The sheets ruffled and there were quiet murmurs, as well as a few kisses.

I wondered if Father viewed Zander as more than a lover. I’d never known him to bed the same person so many times.

Moments later, Zander walked past and jumped when his gray eyes focused on me. “Good morrow, Prince Lorcan.”

“Zander,” I greeted with little emotion in my voice.

His curly blond hair was in disarray and he patted at it to no avail. He’d slipped on trousers that were still unfastened, and his chest was covered in bite marks. Rosy cheeks, messy hair, and kiss-swollen lips, he was the personification of someone who’d just been thoroughly fucked.

Father came into view, slipping on a robe to cover his nakedness. His pale hair cascaded down his shoulders and brushed the top of his stomach, and his sharp features rang of youth and power. He looked at Zander.

“Go wash before beginning your duties for the day.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Zander replied, bowing his head as a smile touched his lips. His love for my father displayed in his gray eyes.

When the servant was out of sight, I arched a brow. “You care for him.”

“He is a warm body to take pleasure in when the desire arises. Nothing more.” Father sat in the armchair across from me.

I didn’t believe him. He spoke the lie with ease, but the tenderness in his eyes as he’d watched Zander pad down the hall could not be so easily covered.

“What brings you to my chamber?” he asked, eyeing me with suspicion. “Visits from you, unless I request your presence, are uncommon.”