Page 13 of Martyr

“Fuckers.” He grunted but smiled. There wasn’t anyone else alive who’d put up with their particular mixture of bullshit.

His mind turned to Nix, and for a second, his fingers faltered over the keys. A fresh wave of annoyance toward Lake and that thing he’d permanently put on Nix’s neck hit him and he ground his teeth against it. Anger never solved anything, and it’d been a lifelong battle of wills and personal growth to control West’s temper. He wouldn’t lose his cool now over something like this.

What’s done was done, after all.

Only…

It irked him, of course. For multiple reasons. Top of the list was the fact Lake hadn’t been back for even half a year yet, and already he was taking matters into his own hands, not consulting them before like he should be. They were meant to be a team. It was the three of them against the universe, as it always had been.

Had he forgotten? Had their bond weakened after Lake’s trip to the planet Vitality after all?

West groaned and leaned back in his chair, the creaking of the hinges pulling him the rest of the way off his work.

His father wasn’t going to like this. Lake’s bite meant a public claiming, and while no one would fight with the future emperor if he decided later down the line to take a second mate, that wouldn’t change the fact he and Nix’s fates were sealed.

They were tied for life. And if the two of them were tied…

He tilted his head when his cock twitched at that thought.

Sure, he liked Nix, wanted him in his bed and wrapped around his dick, but that didn’t mean he’d be satisfied withhaving himforever. Not like Lake apparently was. To the point, the idiot had made a colossal mistake by marking him. What kind of moron would take damaged bait?

This person they were after was no idiot. Now that Nix was sporting a claiming mark, their chances of this plan working had decreased exponentially. West was going to have to come up with something else, find a way to do some damage control before they completely scared off this hacker.

They were so close to the finish line, to achieving actual freedom.

He couldn’t believe Lake would risk all of that on a piece of ass. Even ass as lush as Nix Monroe’s.

Over all the noise—in the room and in his head—it was a wonder West’s ears could pick up on the sound of his bedroom door creaking, but he did and his head snapped up just as Nix peeked his head through the crack.

The other man froze when their eyes met, clearly struggling with what he should do, and since he’d been through enough for one day, West opted to take pity on him.

“Come on in, Nixie,” he waved at him. “I promise I won’t bite.”

Nix flinched but stepped into the room.

“Too soon?” West hummed. “Shut the door.” He waited until his order was followed before asking, “What are you doing lurking about at night?”

“Lake didn’t come to bed,” Nix explained.

West grunted. “Don’t try to tell me you were worried about him?”

“No,” he shook his head. “More like…curious. I was going to go find him but then I heard the music.” He glanced at the large speakers hovering in the four corners of the room. “I didn’t take you for the classical type.”

“Ironic, coming from someone like you.”

“Someone…like me?”

Upon first glance, Nix seemed straightforward and predictable. He looked studious, quiet and maybe a little arrogant at first glance. His hair was a little unkempt, a sandy blond shade that didn’t stand out at all, and brown eyes. He was a bit on the lanky side, thin enough he could easily be mistaken for being too skinny.

But that was just surface-level appearance.

Perfect straight-A student Phoenix Monroe was a skilled hacker who spent his free time breaking into other people's programs for fun. He gave a phenomenal blowjob and moaned like a porn star when his prostate was rubbed just right. And his body? Beneath the baggy sweatshirt and pants he was currently wearing, West could picture all that toned muscle.

“What sport did you play again?” He’d read Nix’s school records when they’d researched him, thinking he was their hacker, but at the time, West hadn’t been invested enough to commit all those details to memory.

“I used to swim competitively,” Nix replied after a moment of hesitation, almost as though he hadn’t wanted to tell West.

He couldn’t help but wonder if he’d do the same if it’d been Yejun who’d asked.

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