Cass was very groggy. He couldn’t exactly control his body, couldn’t exactly do anything, but he knew he wasn’t alone. Something warm washed over his body, and he could hear something softly chuckling.
"It’s alright, Sweetness. I’ve got you. Shh. Go back to sleep. You need your rest." It was a soft rumble, but Cass couldn’t pick out the words. He drifted in and out of consciousness. Waking up as something soft touched his skin all over, before he blinked and fell asleep again. Then he woke up and the soft sound of sheets rustling filled his ears.
He heard himself groan, wondered why his body was so hot, and then a slightly rough hand was on his forehead, rubbing gently.
"Hush. Everyone else has this. Sleep some more, Sweetheart. We’ve got you." Cass felt like he should be worried, like he shouldn’t trust the voice. There was something inside of him that was fighting against it. Resistant. But there was an even bigger force that told him that it was okay to trust the voice. He could let go, give in, and rest some more.
That side won, and Cass let out another sigh, shifted, and fell back asleep.
When he woke up for real, he woke up with a start.
His eyes snapped open, the ceiling above him looking normal. Where was the fucking scene of the demons that he was supposed to see? Where was he?
With a second start, Cass realised he could feel the pull of something in the house with him. Something warm, maternal, strange to his stretched senses. It took Cass a moment to realise that it was the nursery tree, and then everything came flooding back.
The sudden onset of his...hell week, how he’d shoved Edgar out of the room and Lucian had been there. Lucian had been here .
Lucian had signed the contract, and told Cass that he would take care of him. Cass had allowed him to do so.
Cass desperately clung to the sheets under his hands, waiting for the flood of memories to come back. He hadn’t been able to recall everything that had happened last time, especially after he touched himself, and as the silence dragged on and he wasn’t able to recall everything...his body relaxed.
He couldn’t remember.
He couldn’t remember a goddamn thing.
It was a slightly bittersweet thought, as he wasn’t able to recall if Lucian held up the contract, but there was a knowing in Cass’ chest that he had. He hadn’t crossed that line. Add to that, Cass’ body wasn’t screaming in pain. His back didn’t hurt, there wasn’t a pulse in his wrists, and his cock wasn’t screaming in pain. His asshole didn’t even feel different.
Nothing had happened.
Cass let out a slow, shaky breath. He took a moment, letting his body relax, and getting a sense for what was going on.
It wasn’t gone, that was clear. But whatever was going on in his body was satiated for the moment. There was still a burning in his belly, a deep pull that he wanted something deeper, something bigger. Cass gulped.
It was more of a simmer compared to a roaring hunger from before. That was good, he was just worried about how that happened.
Cass turned his head to the left and wasn’t surprised in the slightest when he found Lucian standing there. He wasn’t close to the bed, but was further away. The nightstand next to the bed was between them and he was pressed against the wall, his hands behind his back, relaxed, but clearly on guard.
His gaze was also on Cass, and he wasn’t surprised. The dragon had probably heard Cass waking up. His hearing was that much better than Cass’, and while that was alarming, he was more worried about the way that Lucian’s eyes curled up, his pupils that of his dragon self, and he let out a soft sigh.
"Good morning, sweetness. Are you among the living?" He asked, his voice a deep rumble. Cass blinked, before a warm blush began to creep up his body. He wasn’t sure why he was blushing, but he was. Lucian’s eyes widened before he chuckled. "I take it that you are. How are you feeling?" Lucian’s care and consideration made Cass very awkward.
Cass slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position, staring at Lucian with weary eyes. Lucian’s eyes curled up more, his smile bright. Cass only felt more awkward.
"I’m...alright." Cass said quietly, his voice feeling...okay. Not as hoarse as it normally did. "How many days have passed?" He asked. It was a fair question. He’d spent days last time in pain and lust.
Lucian’s smile was softer, warmer after Cass spoke.
"You’ve been asleep for about 6 hours now, but we spent about...I checked with Sam after I had cleaned you up...12 hours together?" Lucian offered and Cass froze. 12 hours?
12 hours?
That was...it?
"That’s it?" Cass thought. That was all that they had spent together? How in the world-What had they done? What was Cass not remembering?
"Yes, Cass. That’s it. Sam was also surprised. Are you feeling completely better?" Lucian asked and Cass flinched. Had he spoken out loud? He wasn’t aware of that. He felt his face flush in embarrassment. He wasn’t himself yet. That was annoying.
"I...no. I’m not. I’m feeling...okay. I’ll probably be able to function. How much longer till the ball?" Cass asked and Lucian sighed. He closed his eyes, holding his breath, before he sighed again and then moved towards the bed. Cass watched him wearily, unsure what he was going to do.
It certainly wasn’t the man reaching out with his hand and touching Cass’ forehead. Taking his temperature.
Cass hadn’t had that done in a long, long time, and suddenly Cass felt a small memory. Another time when that had happened. A man’s hand on his forehead. Cass swallowed, surprised that that was the memory that was coming back.
"I’m fine." Cass told him gruffly and watched as Lucian’s gaze brightened, but his smile didn’t shift.
"I know you’re fine, you don’t need to tell me that. I just want to make sure. Are you feeling okay? You didn’t really answer that. You aren’t swore? Your wrists don’t hurt?" Lucian asked. "I can go pick up the doctor from the town if you want." Lucian offered and Cass stared at him, Lucian’s hand still on his forehead.
"I...I don’t need a Doctor. I feel okay. Better than okay. It’s...still there, but more like a simmer, not boiling over." Cass told him. He wasn’t sure if it made sense, but Lucian nodded as if he understood.
"Alright. You let me know when it gets dangerous, alright? And to answer your other question, about 1 and a half days until the ball. You have some time right now to repeat it." Lucian told him and Cass nodded. He wasn’t sure how much time he had. It could only be a few hours, it could be a full day.
He was going to have to repeat it, just to cover his ass. 12 hours. That was how long Cass had been with Lucian.
Cass swallowed.
"Can you call Sam in and get me some food? And tea?" Cass asked softly and Lucian’s grin grew. He bent, pulling his hand away from Cass’ forehead to replace it with his lips. Then he straightened up, nodded, and scanned Cass’ flushed cheeks as he sat up in bed.
"Let me get you comfortable, and then I’ll go do that." Lucian said, tucking a few pillows behind Cass’ back before he strolled off. The door opened, closed, and Cass was left alone in the room again.
What was going on? That was...almost sweet.
That was so unlike Lucian. Or...was it? Lucian had made a switch recently, and Cass was just reeling because he had been avoiding looking at the change in Lucian. Hell, he was avoiding looking at how everyone was changing, including him.
Cass was blaming everything on this feeling in his gut. This simmering, bubbling heat that taunted him. Warned him that Cass was only barely in control. It had more control over him.
Maybe that was why Cass was avoiding looking at what was going on. Even Lord Blackburn had been pestering him but Cass had been ignoring it. Now, Cass couldn’t.
Lord Blackburn was glaring at him from inside of him. Inside of them. Cass worried that he was upset because Cass was trusting the others. He was worried that he was angry because he had done something with Lucian. He was worried that he had allowed anyone to touch him during the week where he had been protecting himself for years.
Instead, Lord Blackburn poked deep inside of Cass, until Cass’ heart ached.
Use them. Win. Do no let those fuckers walk all over us
Cass blinked, Lord Blackburn’s cold, calculated voice ringing through his ears. He wasn’t mad. He wasn’t angry at what Cass was doing. Instead, he was pissed that someone was trying to one up him in his real life. In the life that he had crafted.
He didn’t seem to care that Cass had...had done something with Lucian. He viewed it as a way to put others in their place. Cass bent his head, shaking it as he laughed softly.
Yeah, it was silly of him to worry about what Lord Blackburn thought. He wasn’t heartless, but he was damaged in a different way then Cass was. People were tools, and despite the feelings that Lord Blackburn may or may not have for Lucian, he was more upset that people were trying to step on his toes.
Cass had to make sure that he at least lived up to Lord Blackburn’s image. He was not going to let them get away with this. There was a reason he had planned as much as he had.
"I’ll make sure to not let them get away with this." Cass muttered, speaking to Lord Blackburn out loud. The man inside of him simply nodded, before Cass felt him hesitate. Then, a wave washed over Cass, similar to when Lord Blackburn had returned memories to him in the past.
Cass gasped, and went white when he realised something absolutely horrifying. Cass had known that Lord Blackburn had been there to witness what had happened last month. He had not been aware that he had been around to notice what had happened this time as well.
What made this worse was what Lord Blackburn had just done. Cass wasn’t even sure what kind of emotions were surging inside of him. All he knew was that all of them were not things he wanted to experience, especially at once.
What had Lord Blackburn done?!