Harrison sipped at his wine, pensively.
"Damien, why don't you send him on up to bed? He looks tired. He
probably doesn't want to stay up listening to us gossip."
"Oh, no," Roman chimed in, "He's here now, he
should finish his dinner."
His brother's dark head glanced over at the
boy sitting stiffly in the chair, trying to avoid looking anywhere
but his plate. Damien turned to see the glare Roman was casting at
his slave. "You do look tired, kitten. Why don't you go on to
bed?"
Kayden nodded gratefully and disappeared
silently from the dining room.
"You have a problem, Roman?" Damien nearly
growled at his brother.
The marquis startled at his brother's irate
tone. "What?"
"Do you have a problem with Kayden being
here? Because, if I recall, you were the one who started the whole
bet."
"I didn't think you'd actually keep him,"
Roman sneered.
"So, what, you're upset you're going to lose
a stupid bet? Well, you can forget the damn bet. I actually like
him and want him here."
"He's a slave!"
"So what, I can't like him because he's a
slave? That's stupid, Roman," Damien threw up his hands, unable to
comprehend what his brother's problem was. "I like all the slaves
and staff here! Even Garin!"
"I didn't expect you'd let a slave act like a
fucking prince and sit him at the table!" Roman snapped back.
Damien's eyes darkened stormily. "He's my
slave, and he'll be treated according to how I say."
"Fine," Roman huffed, throwing down his
napkin, and rising from the table. "I'm going into town."
"Good," Damien huffed, "Go cool off."
Harrison and Damien watched their brother
grab his coat and storm off. Damien sighed heavily. Harrison knew
he hated fighting with his brother, but Roman had a way of pushing
Damien's buttons sometimes.
"He'll be fine," Harrison said
placatingly.
Damien ran his hand through his short black
waves. "He can just be so frustrating sometimes."
"Yeah, well, the both of you are pretty
hard-headed," Harrison laughed, trying to lighten his brother's
mood.
Damien did laugh and sat back in his chair.
"I know. I'm just..." but he left off and just sighed heavily
again.
"Okay, so what's going on?" Harrison pressed.
"What's put you in such a bad mood? Besides Roman."
Damien scowled. "The Legislature is a bunch
of old bastards," he snapped.
Harrison's brow shot up at his brother's
vehemence. He wasn't usually so riled up by the meetings.
"Did the 'no kill' law fall through?"
"No," Damien sighed. "That actually passed,
and owners can't kill any slaves that they can't sell or who aren't
useful anymore."
"Sounds fair," Harrison stated. "Isn't that
what you wanted?"
Damien shook his head. "But owners don't have
to provide for them either if they don't want them. They can just
turn them out."
"Oh," Harrison realized Damien's concern. "I
see why you were upset. I know you were pushing for the 'provision
clause' that made sure a slave who's served well over the years is
well provided for--"
Damien was shaking his head, and Harrison
frowned.
"No, that's not it. I mean, yeah, I wanted
that clause added in, but that's not what pissed me off."
"Oh, what then?"
"Apparently there are still hunters illegally
capturing slaves and selling them to the mines. I tried to get the
council to send an envoy out to the mines to oversee what was
happening, but no one cared. The mines are so far out over the
mountains, that no one cares what's going on there. It's like their
own little kingdom. King Eudon and the other nobles are afraid if
they mess with the mine owners that they will create an embargo.
They'd rather let the bastards get away with imprisoning slaves,
than actually enforce the law."
"Oh," Harrison breathed sharply. "That's
pretty bad."
Damien continued to shake his head in
frustration. He was sure that his uncle would have backed him, but
politics had won out over morality. "I swear, if and when I become
king, that is going to change."
Harrison smiled and patted his brother on the
back. "I know it will," he assured. "You'll set it right. How did
you know about the mines anyway?"
"Kayden."
Harrison visibly started. "What? How?"
Damien sighed heavily again. "He was captured
by the hunters when he was twelve, but was too young to be sold to
the mines--he saw many others sold to the mines over several
years."
"Kayden? He was--" Harrison gasped. "Oh,
shit."
"Yeah, he apparently spent like five years
being tormented by the hunters until he was sold to the market--he
never got big enough to sell to the mines. Those bastards are why
he is so skittish and terrified of everything."
Damien leaned forward on the table, running
his hands through his hair. "And I didn't help any a couple nights
ago."
Harrison frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I think I scared him."
"Oh, so that's why something's off with you
and Kayden."
Damien let out a long breath, raking his
hands through his hair. "Is it that obvious?"
"Maybe not to everyone, but I know you well
enough to know you seem more upset the last couple days, almost
like you were afraid of Kayden."
"I must have just scared him or something. I
mean, I wasn't--... well, I mean, we've been getting along really
well, and ... well... I kissed him," Damien confessed, and he saw
the surprise cross his brother's face. "And he seemed to want it
too, but then it was weird. He suddenly he pulled away looking like
I'd attacked--... I don't know, I guess it was too soon, knowing
how the hunters beat--"
"Damien," Harrison slowly interrupted,
carefully setting down his wine glass. "There's something you
should probably know, if you are truly becoming attached to
him."
"What do you mean?"
Harrison glanced shamefully at his hands
laced together on the table. "At the slave market, Kayden was kept
separate from the others. He was in this tiny cage that he couldn't
even stand in, much less stretch out."
"What?" Damien's eyes darkened. "That's not
normal protocol for slave markets."
"Master Farth had gotten Kayden in a group of
other slaves. He probably would never have accepted him otherwise.
He didn't want Kayden, and he hadn't been able to sell him in over
a year. He was going to put him down," Harrison confessed.
Damien cursed under his breath. "Why would he
do that? Kayden's young, he--".
"Kayden came to him damaged, skittish. And,
while not disobedient, he wasn't useful either, too scared to be
dutiful and biddable, jumping at everything. When Farth first got
Kayden, he was nearly killed by the other slaves when he put Kayden
in the group cell with the other males to sell."
"That's ridiculous!" Damien snapped. "Slaves
don't try to kill each other. What could Kayden have done that
would anger them to the point they'd want to kill him?"
Harrison was shaking his head. "No, it's not
that. It wasn't intentional, they weren't trying to kill the boy.
He wasn't getting much to eat in the group cell, since he wouldn't
fight for it. And well, they--they went into heat....and well,
Kayden was small... defenseless...
"Oh, fuck," Damien breathed out, dropping his
head into his hands.
Harrison touched his brother's forearm
comfortingly. "He's been hurt, obviously, but I can see that he
trusts you, Damien."
"Yeah, and I just broke that," Damien sighed
exasperatedly.
"No, I don't think you did," Harrison assured
him. "You let him go, you didn't force him, right?"
Damien scowled at the thought of forcing
Kayden to do anything. "Of course, I didn't."
"He still trusts you, I can see that tonight
still. You let him know that you would listen to what he wants,"
Harrison stated. "He enjoys being near you, and you touching him,
petting him. He's relaxed and calm around you. I think maybe he
just got scared, when he thought of ... well, you know, being with
you that way and he doesn't know what to do. He's just afraid of
being hurt. He's probably never had someone touch him in a loving
way before."
Damien stared at his youngest brother for a
long time. "Jesus, Harrison, when did you get to be so wise?"
The blond sat back and chuckled, taking
another sip of his wine. "I have my moments."
****
Damien made his way to his suite after
enjoying a long evening with Harrison. They talked like they hadn't
talked in a long time, and he realized that Harrison's interest in
Miss Penelope was rapidly developing into a serious relationship.
Harrison had blushingly asked if he could ask for her hand in
marriage, and Damien had nearly burst out laughing that Harrison
had even thought Damien wouldn't approve. Damien was very happy for
him, especially since he himself had no time or interest in
marrying anyone.
The room was silent and cold, he noted.
Drystan had let the fire burn down. Since there was no fire, Kayden
wasn't stretched out on the rug in front of the couch tonight.
Damien figured he was already sound asleep in his bed.
After undressing for bed, he climbed into his
huge bed, reaching down to pull the fluffy feather filled comforter
from where it was bunched at the end of the bed. When he tucked his
feet under the comforter, he jerked when he felt something solid,
eliciting a yelp from under the covers.
He jumped from the bed, yanking back the
covers only to find wide green eyes staring back up at him.
"Kayden!"
The boy started to slink off the bed, afraid
that he was in trouble. Damien quickly climbed back on the bed,
catching Kayden before he could escape.
"I'm sorry, sir," Kayden trembled, and Damien
wasn't sure if it was the sudden cold air or fear.
"It's okay, kitten," Damien soothed. "You
just scared me. Why are you not in your own bed?"
"It's warmer, and it..." the boy hesitated
and glanced at his hands.
"It, what?"
The green eyes looked up at him. "It smells
like you."
A slow smile curled on Damien's face at the
slight blush on the young neko's cheeks. Gently, Damien urged the
boy toward the pillows, pulling the comforter up over him.
"It is cold tonight. We can share the warmth,
if you like," he suggested carefully as he settled in the bed.
He could feel Kayden watching him carefully,
uncertain as to what to do. Damien laid on his back, not touching
Kayden at all. He stretched his arms behind his head so the boy
could see his hands. Slowly, he felt the boy settle into the bed
hesitantly. Damien couldn't let his body relax as he worried about
scaring the little feline. Within the next hour, he smiled to
himself as Kayden slowly snuggled in against his side. Damien
carefully draped his arm around the thin shoulders, making sure not
to disturb the boy. He finally fell asleep to the deep even
breathing and the barest sound of what he thought was purring at
his side.
****
Kayden woke warm and content. He slowly
realized the rhythmic thump he was hearing was the deep sound of
his master's heart under his head. His leg was wrapped over his
master's, and he could feel his master's arm draped lightly around
his back, the large hand resting at his hip.
Kayden had a moment of panic when he woke up
curled into his master's side, but slowly, he realized he was okay;
he felt safe and protected, not threatened. He stared at the wide
expanse of broad firm muscles under his head, a tingling of desire
trickling through his body as he slowly traced a hand over a taunt
nipple then feathered down the rippled abs. He shifted his leg
slightly as he felt a rush of pleasure to his groin, and when his
thigh brushed across bare flesh that was slowly hardening, he
suddenly realized that his master slept naked.
He froze.
He looked up at his master's face. The eyes
were still closed in sleep, and his breathing was still deep and
even. He briefly feared that his master would wake and pin him
down, but then he remembered the other night when his master had
let him go when he didn't want to be held. He was tense, but he
didn't want to move either, enjoying the sensations rushing through
his body.
He shifted again, creating friction against
his cock from his clothes and his master's leg. His hand slid under
the covers, across his master's belly. He heard himself mewl
slightly as the friction increased, his knee bumping his master's
groin.
The arm across his back tightened as he heard
a low moan from his master. The large hand skimmed his hip as he
heard his master's breathing hitch and change.
Kayden froze and started to pull way, as his
master started to wake next to him. His hand was sliding off of his
master's chest when it was suddenly caught by a large palm and held
still.
Kayden panicked and had a moment of fear of
being trapped, but then his master loosened his arm from his back,
and flattened Kayden's small hand on his chest, holding it there
for a moment to let him know it was okay.
Kayden looked up to meet his master's blue
eyes gazing down at him, desire smoldering in the depths.
"Good morning, kitten," the sleep-rough voice
smiled, fingers lightly rubbing circles on his back but not holding
him in place.
He could escape. Master wasn't holding him in
place. Damien lifted his head enough to place a kiss on his
forehead, and Kayden closed his eyes and relaxed.
Kayden shifted against his master again,
tentatively reaching a tiny hand to the scruffy cheek. His master's
breath caught as he watched Kayden carefully, his eyes glittering
with anticipation. Kayden slowly, cautiously leaned forward to
brush his lips against his master's. When his master sighed and
closed his eyes, he pressed more firmly, and his master immediately
opened for him, encouraging.