Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

"No." Jamie's voice was firm. " Hell no."

"Jamie!"

"I'm not letting that monster into my store."

Daniel shifted uncomfortably in the break room. Jamie had dragged him here the moment he'd mentioned Caelen, not even letting Daniel explain the whole situation. "Look, I know how it sounds."

"Do you? Because I've read the webnovel. All of it. And I know exactly what the Shadow King is capable of."

"There's more to him than what's written in the story," Daniel said, but the words rang hollow. Yes, he'd sensed something good in Caelen, but there was also so much darkness. The memory still made him shudder with horror.

Jamie must have caught it in his expression. "See? Even you're scared of him. And you want me to let him in here?"

"It's not that simple." Daniel ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. Why would Jamie not get it? Why wouldn't he listen? "He's the only one who can fix this."

"Fix what?" Jamie crossed his arms. "The barrier thing you mentioned? I'm not convinced that's real."

As if in answer to Jamie's skepticism, a strange sound filled the room, almost like rustling paper. They both turned toward the break room's small bookshelf, where Jamie kept a small part of his personal collection.

The books were floating.

Not all of them; just three or four volumes that seemed to drift upward as if gravity had forgotten about them. As Daniel and Jamie watched, frozen, one book opened itself, pages fluttering rapidly.

"Okay," Jamie said slowly. "That's... new."

The book snapped shut and dropped to the floor with a thud. The others followed swiftly.

"See!" Daniel pointed. "That's what I'm talking about. And it's only going to get worse."

Jamie stared at the fallen books, his face pale. "But why him ? Why can't those Barrier Keepers help?"

"Because they can't be trusted. They promised me nothing would happen here, and they were clearly wrong. They either didn't fix this place or they fixed it badly or they undid their fix… I don't know," Daniel stopped himself from rambling. He picked up one of the fallen books. A fantasy novel, of course. "Please. Let me make this right."

Jamie studied him for a long moment. "You're going to do it whether I agree or not, aren't you?"

Before Daniel could answer, the bell above the store's entrance chimed, and Daniel had a feeling he knew who'd entered. When he opened the break room's door, he spotted Caelen browsing the shelves, drawing every eye in the place. Some of their regular customers whispered to each other, pointing not-so-subtly at the striking man with flowing white hair.

Jamie's face hardened as he approached the Shadow King. "Stay the fuck away from my brother."

Several customers gasped at Jamie's outburst. Daniel could see Mrs. Henderson clutching her romance novel to her chest, eyes wide with excitement at the drama unfolding before her. She was having the best day, and Daniel knew her whole book club would hear about this later.

"This is a private matter," Jamie announced to the store at large. "We're closing early today. Please finish up your shopping."

"That won't be necessary," Caelen said, voice smooth. "This won't take but a moment."

"You need to leave." Jamie's hands were clenched into fists at his sides.

"Jamie," Daniel stepped forward, touching his brother's arm. "Let's take this to the break room."

"No," Jamie spun to face him. "He's not coming any further into my store."

But Caelen was already moving past him, following Daniel into the small room. Jamie made a frustrated sound and followed, slamming the door behind them.

"You can't just—" Jamie started.

"Are we doing this now?" Caelen's attention was focused entirely on Daniel, as if Jamie wasn't even there.

"Daniel!" Jamie said sharply, as if to call his attention away from Caelen.

Daniel shook his head. "This is something I have to do, Jamie."

"You don't have to do anything," Jamie protested. "We can figure something else out. We can call those keepers back."

"The keepers," Caelen interrupted, "are the reason your store is in this state. Their 'fix' was crude at best, destructive at worst. It needs to be undone before I can properly stabilize the barrier."

"And that requires what, exactly?" Jamie demanded.

Caelen's gaze still never left Daniel. "More energy than last time. Which means..." He stepped closer to Daniel, who felt his heart skip. "You'll need to open yourself fully to me."

Daniel heard Jamie's sharp intake of breath, but he couldn't look away from Caelen's eyes. "Anything," he said softly, "to keep this place safe."

He tried not to think about how much he wanted this, wanted to feel Caelen's lips on his again, wanted that connection, that rush. Even knowing what lurked beneath the surface, even having seen the horror of what Caelen truly was... God help him, he still wanted it.

Caelen moved closer, backing Daniel against the break room wall. His presence was overwhelming, filling Daniel's senses, green eyes holding him captive as Caelen's hand came up to cup his face.

"I said I'm not letting you—" Jamie started.

"Ignore him," Caelen murmured, his thumb tracing Daniel's bottom lip. "Focus only on me."

Daniel was dimly aware of Jamie's presence, of his brother's protests, but Caelen commanded all of his attention. The Shadow King's power rolled off him in waves, making the air thick and heavy.

"Last time," Caelen said softly, "you looked where you shouldn't have."

"I had to," Daniel whispered. "I wanted to see you."

"And now?" Caelen's lips ghosted over his jaw. "Do you still want that?"

Daniel closed his eyes, fighting the urge. Yes, he wanted it. Even after the horror he'd found in Caelen's depth, some part of him needed to understand what lay beneath Caelen's surface.

"You'll distract me if you do that again," Caelen advised. "Just open yourself. Let me in."

Their lips met, and Daniel gasped at the immediate rush of power. It was stronger than before, more demanding. Caelen's hands gripped his waist, pressing him harder against the wall as the energy flowed between them. Daniel could feel Caelen working, undoing whatever the Barrier Keepers had done, but it felt different this time—rawer, almost painful.

His knees buckled. Caelen held him up, deepening the kiss, drawing more and more energy from their connection. The room spun, and Daniel's consciousness began to fade at the edges. Each brush of Caelen's lips felt like drowning, like falling, like flying—all at once. His fingers clutched at Caelen's shoulders, desperate for something to anchor him as the power surged between them.

"That's it," Caelen breathed against his mouth. "Give me everything."

The words sent a shiver down Daniel's spine. Every rational thought screamed at him to pull away, to guard himself against this creature of shadow and ancient power. Instead, he found himself pressing closer, surrendering to the magnetic pull between them. His body recognized Caelen's touch like a drug it couldn't resist, even as his mind rebelled against the danger.

Shadows danced across the walls as Caelen's magic worked through him. The world began to fade around him, reality dissolving until there was nothing but this. Caelen's lips, his touch, and the energy he drew from Daniel.

"Caelen," he gasped, barely able to form the word. "I can't?—"

"Just a little more," Caelen murmured, his own voice rough with exertion. His forehead pressed against Daniel's, their breaths mingling. "Stay with me."

Daniel's mind wanted to retreat from the overwhelming surge of power, but something deeper, more instinctive, pulled him closer instead. His soul reached for Caelen's, reached for something it could cling to—and found it.

Pure connection.

In spite of his exhaustion, Daniel had never felt anything more exhilarating.

This was right. This was meant to be. This was the truth that lay beneath all the complications and conflicts. Caelen and he belonged to each other, had always belonged to each other.

Joy bloomed in Daniel's chest, fierce and bright and unstoppable.

A smile touched his lips as consciousness began to fade. He didn't fight it. Caelen would keep him safe. Would always keep him safe.

Everything he had, everything he was… his mate could have it all.

When awareness returned, he found himself sitting on the break room floor, cradled against something warm and solid, something that rose and fell. Caelen's chest. The Shadow King's breathing was labored, making it obvious that whatever they'd done had taken its toll on him too.

A thud made Daniel turn his head. Jamie stood a few feet away, hand pressed against empty air as if he'd hit an invisible wall.

"What did you do?" Jamie demanded, voice tight with fury.

"I won't let you disturb him," Caelen said, his voice rough with exhaustion. "He needs a moment."

Jamie's face darkened with anger. "Let me through. That's my brother!"

"Jamie," Daniel interrupted softly. "Just... go. Please."

"Are you serious?" Jamie stared at him in disbelief. "He kidnapped you."

"Please," Daniel repeated, unable to meet his brother's eyes. He couldn't explain why he needed this right now, why despite everything, being in Caelen's arms felt... right.

Jamie's expression shifted from anger to hurt, then settled into something that hit harder: utter disappointment. He turned and yanked the door open and left without another word.

The door slammed behind him, making Daniel wince. Inside him, guilt warred with the bone-deep need to stay exactly where he was, held safe by someone dangerous.

"Don't mind him," Caelen murmured. "He doesn't understand."

There was a subtle shift in the air as Caelen released whatever barrier he'd maintained to keep Jamie away. Another small exhale escaped him, another sign of strain falling away. He really had pushed himself to his limits.

Looking up at the Shadow King, Daniel was struck by how different he seemed at this moment. The usual sharp edges of his power were softened by exhaustion, his perfect composure gone. Something tender stirred in Daniel's chest at the sight, speaking to that side of him that yearned to fix every broken creature that attracted him.

Caelen couldn't have tied Daniel more perfectly to him, if he'd tried.

Jamie was right; Daniel was a lost cause. An idiot of the highest magnitude, because he wanted nothing more than another kiss.

"How is it," Caelen asked quietly, "that after seeing inside me, you can still sit in my arms like this?"

"It's exactly because I've seen inside of you," Daniel mused out loud. He'd seen the darkness, yes, but beyond that, a broken soul that called to Daniel's.

Caelen didn't respond to Daniel's words, just watched him with a quiet, almost hidden longing that made Daniel's heart ache. Before he could think better of it, Daniel leaned forward and pressed his lips to Caelen's.

For a moment, Caelen hesitated. There was a flutter of resistance, like someone trying and failing to deny themselves something they desperately wanted. Then he yielded, opening to Daniel with a soft noise that almost sounded like surrender.

There was no pull this time, no drain of energy. Caelen's magic was spent entirely. But their connection remained, that invisible thread that bound them together, and Daniel followed it deeper. The darkness was still there—it would always be there—but it seemed fainter now, less overwhelming. Daniel pushed through it, brushed it aside even as it tried to press in around him.

He needed to find that source of brightness again, needed to know that it was real. But when he found it, his heart broke.

There, at Caelen's core, lay a man, broken, bound, not even struggling anymore against the chains of shadows that wrapped around him, clearly aiming to squeeze the last bit of life out of their prisoner.

That was what Caelen was: a prisoner inside his own mind.

Daniel jerked back from the kiss, tears burning in his eyes. His chest felt too tight, his heart aching with a pain that wasn't his own, but that felt like it was. He knew exactly what Caelen's soul felt, tortured by that darkness, all that terrible, crushing pressure.

It was too much for any man to stand without going insane.

"What happened to you?" he whispered, reaching out to touch Caelen's face.

But Caelen flinched away from his touch. His hands were trembling, his breathing uneven. The composed mask of the Shadow King had crumbled completely.

"Leave," Caelen ground out, his voice rough. "Go now. Stay away from me." Each word seemed to cost him, like they were being torn from his throat. "There is nothing here for you, nothing good."

The last words came out as almost a plea, and Daniel could see how much it hurt Caelen to say them. Whatever held him prisoner was fighting to regain control.

But Daniel couldn't just leave. Instead of pulling away, he shifted closer, his hand finding Caelen's face again. This time, he didn't let Caelen flinch away.

"How long?" Daniel asked softly. "How long have you been like this?"

Something fractured in Caelen's expression. His next breath came as a shudder, and when he spoke, his voice held none of the Shadow King's usual arrogance. "I don't... I can't remember anymore."

Daniel's thumb traced the sharp line of Caelen's cheekbone, watching as the Shadow King's eyes fluttered closed at the gentle touch. Like he was starving for it. Like no one had touched him with kindness in too long.

"I saw you," Daniel whispered. "The real you."

Caelen's hand came up to cover Daniel's, pressing it closer to his face. "You shouldn't have looked."

"But I did. And I'm not running away."

When Caelen's eyes opened again, they held such a raw vulnerability that Daniel's breath caught. Gone was the predatory gleam, the calculated seduction. This was just a man, trapped and tired and desperately lonely.

"Daniel..." His name on Caelen's lips was barely a breath. Their faces were close now, so close Daniel could feel the tremor in Caelen's exhale. "You need to…"

Daniel closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to Caelen's. This kiss was different from all the others—no surge of power, no magical connection, just the soft press of mouths and the shared warmth of breath. Caelen made a sound like something breaking, his hands coming up to frame Daniel's face with a gentleness that seemed to contradict his usual persona.

When they parted, Caelen rested his forehead against Daniel's for a moment longer. "This won't last," he whispered.

"What do you mean?"

Pain flashed across Caelen's features. He jerked away from Daniel, hands pushing against his chest. "Get out. Now."

"No." Daniel caught Caelen's wrists, holding on even as Caelen tried to push him away. "I'm not leaving you like this."

"You don't understand." Caelen's voice was strained, his breathing ragged. "I can't… I can't hold it back."

Daniel tightened his grip. "Then fight it."

"I can't ." The words came out as a growl, Caelen's hands clenching into fists. His whole body went rigid, muscles trembling with tension. "Daniel, please. Don't make me hurt you."

"You won't."

Caelen's laugh was bitter, edged with pain. "I will. I will destroy you if you let me." He cut off with a gasp, doubling over.

Still, Daniel refused to leave. How could he when Caelen's breath came in harsh pants against Daniel's neck, his whole body shaking as he fought against the darkness inside him.

"It'll be okay," Daniel said, only to fill the silence, to feel like he was helping more than he was, so he wouldn't feel so goddamn useless. "We'll find a way to fix this. There has to be a way."

Caelen went still, finally. When he lifted his head, his eyes had changed. They had gone dark, hungry. His hand shot up to grip Daniel's throat, not squeezing, but holding him in place.

"Please," Daniel whispered, not struggling against the hold. "I know you're still in there."

A muscle twitched in Caelen's jaw. His fingers trembled against Daniel's throat, like he was fighting to pull them back. "I told you to run."

"I won't."

Something flickered in those darkened eyes, as if there was still a battle raging inside of him, but one that he was losing. His other hand came up to Daniel's face, and Daniel felt the pull begin, weaker than before, but steady and demanding.

"Caelen…" Daniel's vision swam as his energy drained away. He clutched at Caelen's shoulders, no longer sure if he was trying to push him away or hold him closer.

"You should have listened," Caelen whispered against his ear, voice breaking. "You should have listened."

The darkness claimed Daniel before he could respond, but he thought he felt the ghost of lips pressing against his forehead as consciousness slipped away.

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