Changeling Read online

We neared the first floor, so I nodded quickly. “Okay, thanks. You’ve gotta get out of here.”

  Lachlann laughed. “I’ll come see you after work?”

  I nodded again.

  He smiled and leaned in, kissing me deeply just before the door opened. Luckily, no one was waiting to get on, and he pulled back and disappeared, winking at me.

  I took a deep breath and walked out into the lobby. When I turned the corner away from the bank of elevators, the security guards both nodded and smiled. I smiled back and walked over to the only person waiting. Her back was to me, but when I approached, she turned and looked up at me with eyes that were very familiar to me.

  I’d been looking at them in the mirror for nearly three decades.

  “Hello, Adam,” she said, extending her hand.

  I shook her hand, not knowing what else to do. “Hi.”

  “I’m Moira. The look on your face says you know who I am.”

  I nodded. “Can we go outside? There’s a little park across the street.”

  “Certainly.”

  We were silent until we were outside. Then I said, “Sorry. Not trying to be rude, but the man and woman in there know my mom. Um. You know, the one who raised me here.”

  “I figured they might, since she lives in the same city as you.” She reached over and touched my arm once we’d crossed the street. “And you don’t have to worry about offending me. She raised you. She’s your mother in the ways that count.”

  “Do you think of … I’ve forgotten his name…”

  “Colin.”

  “Yes, Colin. Do you think of him as your son?” There were tons of people in the park, just enough noise that I didn’t worry about anyone hearing us as we walked along the winding path around the playground and benches.

  “I do. You were both roughly a year old. When he was given to us, he was very weak. The spell had taken its toll. I had to give him a special potion three times a day, and he was constantly hungry. And fussy. He wasn’t really in pain, but his body ached. He needed to be held a lot. We bonded right away.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “I worried you might not take to your new mother the same way. But you did. I checked in on you a few weeks later, and you seemed very happy.”

  I smiled. “She was a wonderful mother. She still is. My dad was a bit distant, but that was his personality. He loved me. Was always there for me.” My smile faded a bit as I turned to her. “I don’t know what to say really. Lachlann explained everything, but I’m still working through it.”

  “It would be fine for you to be upset. I prioritized someone else over you.”

  “But Colin would’ve died, right?”

  “Yes. They eventually caught the,” she stopped and looked around, “well, Lachlann told you. They caught it before it could pick a new victim, but that wouldn’t have saved Colin.”

  “Then I can’t be upset.”

  “Prince Lachlann told the three of us about saving you from some kind of attack. That he’d had to tell you the truth and you were curious about us. I was happy because we’d get to really meet. He said you’re all right after the incident, but I still worried.”

  “I’m fine. I wasn’t hurt. Scared more than anything.” He felt relieved Lachlann hadn’t given them details. “What else did he tell you?”

  A slow smile spread over her lips, and again I saw part of myself in her face. I felt tears at the back of my eyes and fought them. I didn’t want to make my birth mother cry during our first conversation.

  “He said he’s courting you. That he’s come to have very strong feelings for you.”

  “We are seeing each other.”

  “He’s a wonderful man. And it’s a good thing he’s the oldest. He’s certainly the best suited to rule one day. Kind hearted. Rational and open to debate. I can honestly say I like him.”

  “He said it’s very peaceful where you live. Are there no conflicts?”

  “Petty bickering and squabbles. There is crime. Abuse of power. But compared to here,” she held up her hands to gesture around, “you’d find it very peaceful. Idyllic, perhaps, if that word’s still in use.”

  “Yeah. It is.” I licked my lips. “You have your own language?”

  She nodded. “Yes, but we learn many languages growing up. Almost everyone speaks English.”

  “I worry I’d be a terrible match for Lachlann,” I said softly. “He’d have to teach me everything.”

  “You could say that, but you wouldn’t have to be taught to support him. To be there for him.” She came closer and linked her arm in mine. “You say his name in a way that makes me think you feel for him the way he does for you.”

  “I think I do. He says I’m taking this calmly. But I feel paralyzed by my own thoughts at times.”

  “That’s understandable.”

  I checked the time on my phone. “I guess it’s much later in the day for you, but would you like to have lunch with me? I have lots of questions. I’m sure you have plenty for me, too.”

  “I’d love that. Thank you.”

  It felt odd for her to thank me for the invitation. “It’s my pleasure. I was nervous about how this would go. I probably would’ve stalled a good long time, worrying.”

  “My husband is like that. It’s one of the reasons I decided to just pop in. See what might happen.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Ewan.”

  I eyed the street up and down and headed us in the direction of my favorite sandwich shop. “Ewan,” I repeated. “Will be interesting to find out if he’s the blame for the rest of my quirks.”

  We both laughed, and some of my nervousness subsided. My day had taken an unexpected term, but I was starting to get used to it.

  And kind of like it.

  ****

  I sat on my couch with my head leaned back, staring up at the ceiling, when I heard a knock at the door. “Lachlann?” I called.

  “Yes.”

  “Just come in.”

  He opened the door and came to sit beside me and slide his hand over mine.

  I straightened on the couch and turned my body toward his. “Had lunch with my mother today.”

  “Good. Did you have a nice time?”

  “Yeah. Still sort of processing it, though. It’s like I have two separate lives now. And they can’t cross. I can’t tell my mom or friends about any of this. And what about us?”

  “Us? What do you mean?”

  “I can’t tell people about you. Can I?”

  “You can’t tell them who I really am, but you can introduce them to your boyfriend. I can make a point of dressing more appropriately. I guess I can see how you wouldn’t want to constantly lie to them.”

  We were silent a moment, and eventually I said, “It isn’t that I don’t want to be with you. I do. Things worry me.”

  “I understand. All I need from you is you. Knowing that you do want me.” Lachlann’s hand came to my waist, and he pressed closer. “Will you come see my home?”

  “Yes, I’d like that.”

  “Will you spend the night with me?”

  I smiled and narrowed my eyes at him. “Isn’t it almost morning in your world?”

  He narrowed his eyes back, making me laugh. He practically growled against my ear as he said, “Don’t tease me when I’m so desperate to make love to you.”

  That sobered me. And aroused me. The heat of his hands and his breath had my body quickening. “I like to tease you.”

  “Then prepare for some payback.” He stood and pulled me up into his arms. “Hold on.”

  We were in my living room one moment and standing in an enormous bedroom the next. Lachlann let me go only long enough to close the door and bolt it, and I turned in a slow circle as I gaped at the cavernous room.

  “Is this a palace? Castle or whatever?” The floor was beige marble. The high ceiling had exposed wooden beams, which I noticed intricate carvings on. The walls appeared to be wood paneling mostly, again with carvings in ce
rtain spots.

  “It’s a very large house. I can show you around tomorrow, assuming you don’t have plans.”

  “I have work, but I can go in late as long as it isn’t a Wednesday.” The furniture looked old in terms of design, but the quality said it was all fairly new. The style didn’t line up with any time period I could put my finger on, but all of it was made of quality wood and looked incredibly heavy and solid. Everything was exquisitely beautiful.

  “Ah. Good to know.” He looked around himself, as if assessing the room through my eyes. “It doesn’t look like a castle from the outside. It’s more akin to houses in period dramas. You know, Jane Austen. The Bronte sisters. That kind of thing.”

  “Your entire family lives here?”

  “Yes.”

  My gaze landed on the bed, which was easily big enough for four people. It had thick posts at its four corners and a silk canopy. Silk curtains hung on each side, making it look like something out of a fairy tale. Or a racy gothic novel. I laughed as I looked back at Lachlann. “That bed makes me question your reputation, my handsome prince,” I teased.

  Even though he was only a little bit taller and more muscular than me, he swept me up into his arms and took me to the bed. “When I have a lover, I’m devoted to that person.” He practically tossed me on the bed and then made quick work of getting my shoes off before yanking off his own boots. He crawled onto the bed and pinned me there.

  I didn’t have the slightest desire to struggle. “Never imagined myself earning a prince’s devotion,” I whispered as I looked up into those bright green eyes.

  He lowered his head and kissed me. His mouth wouldn’t let up as our bodies moved against one another. He murmured my name several times when we broke briefly to take a breath. The embrace left me dizzy. I trembled when he drew back, licking my swollen lips. I felt as if he’d already claimed me completely. “If that’s how you kiss a lover, I may pass out when you actually take me,” I said, not joking at all this time.

  Lachlann caressed my cheek and ran his fingers through my short hair. His much longer hair created a golden curtain around us as he said, “I’m in love with you, Adam. I want you to be mine in every way.”

  I lowered my gaze a moment. “That’s a lot to ask.”

  “I’ll settle for your body. For now. If you’re still willing.”

  I looked back up, unable to believe he might still feel uncertain about my desire for him. His eyes showed a hint of anxiety, and I arched up to show him how hard I was. “I don’t toy with men. I want you to make love to me.”

  I had never said those words before. Even with Stephen, I’d been too embarrassed to put my emotions out there too blatantly. But Lachlann was different. I thought I might love him, too, but I didn’t want to say it without truly knowing.

  Lachlann waved his hand, never breaking eye contact, and I felt a cool rush of air against my skin. Our clothes were gone, and I smiled up at him. “Kinky boy,” I said, lifting my head for a kiss.

  “Impatient. Nothing kinky about making your clothes vanish,” he said, winking. He sat back on his knees between my legs, pushing his hair off his face.

  I realized that, even though he had sucked me off a few days before, that I had never seen his cock. My gaze lowered.

  And my eyebrows went up.

  I licked my lips as I made myself look up. “Even your cock is beautiful,” I said.

  He stroked the long, thick shaft. “Is it?”

  I sat up and reached for him. He drew his hand back as I wrapped my fingers around him. “Yes.” I wiped some pre-cum from his tip and licked it off my thumb. “Lie back so I can suck you.”

  He smiled before taking my face in his hands and kissing me, but then he did as I asked. I let my mouth roam over him very gently at first, and he turned out to be a vocal lover. Every move I made caused him to sigh or moan, and I kept stealing glances at him. He watched me through lowered lids, and I had to look away from his intense gaze at times. No man had ever looked at me the way he did, and I took him as deep as I could, wanting to please him.

  He came into my mouth, giving me a huge load. His cum tasted surprisingly sweet, and I tried to swallow it all. Some slipped out, and I let it run down his cock as I moaned around his shaft. As he lay there gasping after his release, I slowly licked the cum from his shaft and stomach.

  When he sat up, he took my mouth in a heated kiss, and then he moved me to my hands and knees without saying anything. He caressed and kissed my spine as the thumb of his left hand massaged my pucker. Then he spread my cheeks and began to lick me. When he used his thumbs to spread my hole and slid his tongue deep inside me, I struggled to stay on my hands and knees. My arms and legs trembled as he ate me out thoroughly.

  “Stop. I’ll come if you … mmm.”

  Before I could even finish my thought, he’d reached beneath me and taken hold of my cock. He held it gently, angling it back toward him as much as my swollen balls would allow, and suckled the tip as he slid two fingers into my ass. I came into his mouth, my arms giving out as I did so. I expected a break, but he didn’t give me one. His fingers worked in and out of me as he swallowed my cum, and then his mouth returned to my clenching and very sensitive hole. He continued to rim me until I was hard again. Hard and aching. Then he flipped me over and wrapped my legs around him.

  Our eyes locked as he lifted my ass a bit and guided his shaft into me. Though I hadn’t bottomed in a long time, he’d opened me up so well he slid in easily, giving me half his length in one thrust. I reached up and tangled my fingers in his beautiful hair as he took me with an intense tenderness. I saw him blinking back tears, and I drew his face down, pressing our foreheads together briefly before kissing him with the same kind of deep tenderness. We both trembled, and as soon as I felt the hot cum inside me, I let go and came with him.

  Against his lips, I whispered, “I’m yours. All yours.”

  I knew he’d been hoping for other words, but when he drew back, his happy smile told me it was enough.

  For now.

  ****

  Whether we stayed in my house or his room in Lanastel, from then on we made love every night and slept in each other’s arms. He often had to leave my world early to attend to things, but he assured me it was fine. He completely adapted his schedule to mine without one complaint. Over the next few weeks, I met my birth father and Colin. I also met Lachlann’s parents and his other siblings. I felt a little nervous around his family, but I could tell they genuinely liked me. I grew comfortable with Lachlann popping in and out of my house, so much so that he hardly ever startled me anymore.

  Until the night of our three-month anniversary.

  I’d paid little attention to the actual date of the day we’d met, but this anniversary, which Lachlann deemed special, fell on a Wednesday, our busiest day at the office. I came home and sat down on the couch and actually fell asleep. I’m certain I didn’t move until I felt someone pulling my sunglasses off my face. I looked up at Lachlann, who placed a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth.

  “You’re tired. I know it’s Wednesday, but I wanted to surprise you,” he said. “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine. I’m always happy to see you.”

  “Would you like to see me more?”

  I smiled up at him. “Of course.”

  He knelt down between my legs, and I sighed as I settled into the couch, expecting a blowjob. It gave my ego quite a boost that this gorgeous man who would one day be a king loved sucking my cock. Seeing his genuine pleasure in the act made my own pleasure that much greater.

  But that wasn’t what he was kneeling for. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver ring with vines engraved on it. He took my left hand and slid it onto my third finger.

  “Adam, will you marry me?”

  While I’d known he would one day ask, I’d imagined he would wait until after I’d told him I loved him, which I hadn’t done yet. I couldn’t explain why because I was sure I did love him. At least part of it w
as fear, mixed with uncertainty about my ability to fulfill the duties that would come with marrying him.

  “Adam?” he said, his grip on my hand tightening.

  “You … shocked me. That’s … oh God.”

  Lachlann closed his eyes and brought my hand to his cheek. He sighed as he opened his eyes again. “You don’t have to answer tonight. You don’t even have to wear the ring. But please don’t say no. Not yet.”

  “Lachlann, I love you.”

  I watched his entire body relax, and he kissed my hand. “So you will think on it?”

  “Of course I will.” I drew my hand back to look at the ring. “It’s beautiful.”

  “I designed it myself.”

  “What made you pick tonight of all nights? We didn’t even have a date. I wasn’t expecting you until later.”

  “We met three months ago. I know we didn’t begin seeing each other that night, but it all started the first moment I saw you, despite the horrible circumstances.”

  I nodded slowly. Wallace had been sentenced to life imprisonment, with some visitation rights given to his family, though only his mother seemed to be taking advantage of them. The rest of his family kept their distance, since abuse of humans through magic was a very taboo offense to Enchanters, I had come to realize.

  I licked my lips and came forward on the couch a little, running the fingers of my left hand through Lachlann’s hair, which was so soft I couldn’t get enough of touching it. “My hesitation isn’t about my feelings. It’s about what a big step this would be.”

  “I understand. Would you like to be alone tonight?”

  I shook my head and leaned in to kiss him. Between soft brushes of our lips, I said, “Oh no. I’m not sleeping alone on our anniversary.”

  “But you seemed so tired,” he said, though I could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he wasn’t truly objecting.

  I took his hand and placed it on my hardening cock. “I’m waking up.”

  ****

  On Saturday, I went to visit my mom once Lachlann had headed home for a few hours. More than anything I wanted to tell her about Lachlann’s proposal. She knew I was seeing a man I was serious about, but she’d never been too nosy about my love life. She did, however, know I hadn’t been serious about anyone since Stephen, and I think it made her happy that I might settle down soon.