Page 22 of Impaled By His Omega Prince
Lumic nodded and stared at the empty room. “He was among the bodies, but come morning he was gone. General Oryn said that his sigil was destroyed, so he escaped.”
Escaped, but hadn’t come to see Lumic. That didn’t seem right, either. And Oryn had told them everyone was dead…
Lumic sighed heavily and dismissed the beta. “I’ll be leaving after I get some rest. Don’t bother me.”
The beta bowed and left while Lumic stumbled toward the soft straw mattress, the tucked woolen cover for it, and the strewn quilts—well loved. As Lumic lifted one to his face, he could still scent Askara on them, if only a little.
“He was a decent lay, nothing more. We went through something difficult together. It’s nothing special. Why?” Lumic reared back to throw the blanket but halted and pulled it back to his chest again, shuddering.
Tears stung his eyes, and he glared toward the bay window, peering up at the moon above.
“Goddess, moon above… Where is your son?”
No response came and Lumic crawled into Askara’s bed, wrapping himself in the alpha’s bedding, face burying into his pillow. The scent made his entire body relax. “Of course you won’t speak to me. Cursed Croatens prince, now that your son is free, I’m useless.”
He bade his tears away and closed his eyes, hiding a shiver as the cold caught up with him. And it was all he could do not to sob loudly.
When sleep caught up with him, a soft voice filtered through the clutter of his mind—female and somewhat sad, like the voice of the moon that had spoke to him before.
My son is missing. We search for him and he calls to us. But you are not cursed, Prince Lumic of Croatens. You are burdened. You need only ask.
Lumic spoke in his dream, his voice airy and insubstantial as he imagined Askara’s lips on his, so soft and innocent. “May I have him as my own? What must I do to make it so?”
Breathe and pray, omega. Pray well and often.
Chapter Sixteen
Lumic
He woke in the late morning with a weight on his chest and the taste of bile on the back of his tongue. Groaning, he stood and made his way to the balconet and threw his wings out behind him. A few milling guards below gave him wary glances. His father’s messengers wouldn’t have had time to get back to Croatens, so he could be there by midafternoon at a good pace. Thinking better of it, he took a quilt from Askara’s bed and folded it over his arms before returning, steeling himself.
He dove from the second floor, letting his wings whirr as he descended on the soldiers. When they saluted him, he gave them permission to relax and requested rations. Some water and hard bread would last him until he needed, and they were more than happy to part with it. And it went down smooth.
With a grateful smile, he bid them farewell and took off, pointing himself in the direction of home.
The tiring journey ahead of him taxed him far more than the journey there. Aching wing joints had him under a heated morning sun, but strangely, the warmth eased the ache that a cold night had given him. And it didn’t burn him as sometimes the sun could, with his fair complexion. A gentle breeze even guided him, drawing him closer and closer home once more. There, undoubtedly, he’d receive the lecture to end all.
When he approached the castle walls and flew over, slowing his wings to land, he was greeted by alpha guards, flanking him as his magic flowed, letting them recognize him before even their eyes could take him in. They always regarded him with a sidelong glance, his wings an ill omen, he’d been told. Thoughhe’d never felt bad about them. Anyone who thought ill of his wings wasn’t someone he wanted to be with.
Askara thought my wings were wonderful. Confident.
He shook the thought. A fleeting alpha who rode out a heat with him. A shitty alpha who didn’t stick around after.
But why did his heart ache? Why did he care? Even the moon told him that she could not find him, though he was alive.
“Prince Lumic Valsand of Croatens!” Pallosar’s voice rang out from the front steps as he landed and made his way in.
“‘Welcome home, my son! I missed you! Are you well?’” Lumic strode past the king and bunched his shoulders, wincing as his omega father seethed.
“You know very well I missed you. I am worried about you. You disappeared. You missed two sittings, and they’re still here, by the by. I had accommodations made for them! Where were you?” Pallosar halted when Lumic turned on his heel and glared.
Pallosar backed away, hands held up almost placatingly.
“Is that all you care about? Show me the alphas.”
“You need a bath first, you reek!” Pallosar chided as Lumic shuddered and turned to his father, throat clenching, eyes watering.
Whatever he saw made him back away, leaving Lumic deflated and broken.
