4. Soren
SOREN
Despite the horror of the day before, I slept like a log at Halo House. I must have been exhausted because despite Officer Vale—Aaron’s—reassurance that the owner, Phoenix, was a guardian angel, I still had so many doubts. And who would blame me after everything I’d been through?
In a daze, I got out of bed. I was dressed in the borrowed pajamas Phoenix had given me last night when he’d brought me to a room with the number three on the door.
It gave the feel of the room being private, almost like a hotel, but the bathrooms were shared, something I was still getting used to after years of having my own in the royal palace.
In fact, I’d had my own wing, and if I hadn’t been ousted, I would have received my own residence in time.
I walked over to the bay windows and drew the curtains apart, sucking in a breath at the beautiful landscape before me.
Last night I’d been too distraught to notice much about the house, but the property was bigger than it had seemed.
My bedroom overlooked a well-maintained hedge maze that gave me the shivers just by looking at it.
I wondered if anyone had ever gotten lost in there before.
How would anyone even find you except by air?
My room was just high enough for me to see two figures sitting on a stone bench tucked discreetly inside the maze. I was too far away to make out anything distinct, but one was sitting in the other’s lap, and they were kissing. Or were they…?
I pressed my face closer to the windowpane, and yup, a lot more was going on than just kissing.
A knock sounded on the door, and I scrambled upright. The last thing I wanted was for anyone to catch me being a Peeping Tom, though I didn’t know if the term was accurate, given they were out in the open. I opened the door and came face-to-face with two young men eagerly staring at me.
“Oh, great, you’re up.” The slender young man, who looked a couple of years younger than me, grinned.
His tightly wound black curls made an Afro hairstyle about his head, and the ring in his left nostril gleamed.
“Excuse me!” he said as he slipped past me into the room and ran over to the window, climbing up on the long cushioned seat and pressing his face to the glass pane pretty much the same way I had been doing a minute ago.
“Dean, you’re being rude.” The other guy hung back at the door, giving me an apologetic look while he wrung his hands.
“They’re doing it!” Dean cried with glee, ignoring his friend’s words. “I told you Tony and his Daddy had started having sex, and you didn’t believe me.”
“It’s none of your business.” His friend rolled his eyes and shifted from foot to foot. “I’m sorry about this,” he said to me. “We didn’t mean to intrude, but Dean’s a bit of a voyeur, so if you’re going to have sex, do it in private where he can’t watch.”
“Dude, when you say it like that, it makes me sound creepy,” Dean said, but his nose didn’t once leave the windowpane, so I was inclined to believe his friend. “It’s not like I’m going around looking for people having sex.”
“Hmm, so you just happened to catch Shannon and her stud Daddy in the act last week?”
Dean finally turned around. “It was innocent, I swear.” His friend didn’t look like he believed him, and Dean fixed his gaze on me. “Hey, new guy—”
“It’s Soren.”
“Okay, Soren. If someone has sex in the open, doesn’t that mean they’re open to being watched?”
As someone who’d always been private about my sex life, given my status as royalty, I wanted to say no, but at the same time I kind of saw his point. Wasn’t the risk of getting caught part of the reason why people engaged in public sex? They could hardly be upset if someone then enjoyed the view.
“I guess,” I said, drawing out the last word.
Dean grinned. “See? Soren’s on my side. I can tell we’re going to be good friends.”
I smiled weakly. This definitely wasn’t how I’d anticipated starting the day, with one boy who seemed to be an eccentric chatterbox and another who looked like any minute now he was going to be sent to the principal’s office.
“By the way, this is Jorge, and he’s my best friend,” Dean continued. “He has lots of cool stuff that his two Bigs buy him, so drop by anytime you want. He and I share room four. Not that we have to, but we wanted to.”
“Oh, okay.” I didn’t know how else to respond. Halo House seemed more bizarre than Aaron had let on. He’d promised me no one would expect me to have sex for money, but there was a guy outside my window engaging in the act.
“Can I ask you guys something?” I asked.
“Ask away,” Dean said.
I nodded at Jorge. “Why don’t you come in and shut the door?”
“Oh, thanks.” Jorge slipped inside and quietly shut the door.
He ran over to the bay window on the tips of his toes and plopped himself into Dean’s lap, tucking his thumb between his lips.
Dean adjusted his body to make his friend more comfortable and brushed back Jorge’s short black hair in a soothing gesture.
“Jorge’s a little,” Dean said with a smile. “He will cuddle with anyone once they’re okay with it. He’ll literally climb into anyone’s lap, but only when his Bigs aren’t around. What did you want to ask?”
“Aaron—Officer Vale brought me here last night,” I said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “But I’m still not sure what Halo House does and what they expect from me.”
“It’s a temporary shelter for those of us who need it,” Dean said. “Think of it as a homeless shelter but with an upgrade. Phoenix works to find us sponsors who can help us get on our feet.”
I stiffened. “You mean financially?”
“Not always,” he said, frowning. “But that too, because let’s be honest, if any of us had two pennies to rub together, we wouldn’t be here. We all contribute to the household in one way or another doing chores, and we can work at Club Halo if we want to earn some money.”
“So it’s really not a…brothel?”
Dean laughed. “No, it’s definitely not that, but let’s just say that Phoenix is open-minded.
For some of us, our bodies are our assets, so we don’t mind using them to achieve our goals.
Phoenix doesn’t stop us from doing that, but he’s anal about us being safe, so the house is not primarily for hookups.
It’s a residence first. We do entertain from time to time and have our sponsors over for parties and dinners, but it’s all aboveboard.
Those of us who are paired with partners also have them visit us from time to time. ”
“Partners? Like he picks partners for you?”
I didn’t like the sound of that at all. After everything I’d been through, I wasn’t looking for another disastrous love affair.
“He doesn’t pick them specifically for us, but he may suggest someone based on what he knows we need.
For example, Shannon’s dream is to go to college and become a nurse.
Her Daddy is a professor, so Phoenix recommended him to help Shannon grow, and it worked.
Shannon just got accepted into community college, and she’s also madly in love with her Daddy. ”
“Oh.” Slowly, everything was beginning to make sense, and I could sense my guard lowering. From everything I’d heard, consent seemed like an important part of this arrangement. “And what about the couple in the maze? You said the residence isn’t used for sex.”
“Technically, it’s not, although there are rooms on the first floor if you want to indulge with a partner.
We turn a blind eye to Tony because he’s lived here for years and this is the first time he’s chosen a Daddy, but his Daddy’s a pilot, so they don’t get to see each other as often as they want. ”
“I see.”
Jorge removed his thumb from his mouth. “You’re going to love it here,” he said. “Phoenix is the best.”
“And what does he get out of it?”
A knock sounded on the door before they could answer.
“Come in,” I said.
The door opened for the second time that morning, and the subject of my thoughts entered the room, looking radiant in a pair of loose white linen trousers and a matching shirt with long, billowy sleeves and the first few buttons undone, which left his chest bare.
He moved gracefully, his clothes flowing with his movements as if they were one.
“Soren,” he said with a smile. “I see you’ve met friends. I hope they didn’t disturb you. The plan was to introduce you to everyone over breakfast.”
“No, they’ve been great,” I said quickly, not wanting to get them into trouble.
“That’s awesome, but I’d like to talk to you alone for a bit. Dean? Jorge? Do you mind leaving us for a few?”
“Sure thing, Phoenix.”
The two guys left the room, promising they would see me downstairs shortly. Left alone with Phoenix, I clutched my hands in my lap. He seemed so poised and perfect. With his platinum-blond hair, he looked very much like the guardian angel Aaron had said he was.
“How did you sleep last night?” Phoenix walked over to the bay window and sat.
“Surprisingly very well,” I said. “I guess I was a lot more tired than I’d thought.”
“I’m glad. I didn’t want to overwhelm you with too much last night, but there are some things you should know about Halo House. I want you to understand what we do here and how you fit in with us.”
“Okay.”
“Though I’m sure Dean must have said a lot, so why don’t you start by letting me know what Dean has said so far?”
I repeated what I’d been told, and Phoenix nodded.
“Yup. That’s pretty much it. We’re able to run Halo House as a nonprofit for vulnerable LGBTQ plus people with the support of our sponsors and also our Halo nightclub.
Some of our sponsors just want to help, while others are seeking subs they can care for. ”
“That part I don’t understand much,” I said honestly. “If I’m going to stay at Halo House, do I have to be involved with one of your sponsors?”
“Definitely not. There are other ways to contribute to Halo House, such as by working at the club or even being a part of the charity events we host or participate in. If I do believe you could do well with guidance from one of our caregivers then I’ll be frank about it, but the decision is up to you whether you accept that help and from whom. Makes sense?”
“I guess.”
“Last night Aaron mentioned you didn’t have anywhere to stay and you had your things stolen,” he said. “So I anticipate you’d want to stay with us for a little while at least?”
I thought back to my palace, to the fact that my father would send me the money I needed if I asked.
But although he wouldn’t say no, he would definitely be disappointed that I was still struggling to survive after three months on my own.
I wanted to prove that I wasn’t a screwup, but how could I do that if I kept asking him for things?
“If it’s not a problem and I don’t have to do anything weird, I’d like that.”
Phoenix chuckled. “Nothing weird, I promise. But let me ask you, have you ever had a caregiver before?”
The question burned a hole in my gut as I remembered the man who’d lied to me, proposed to me, then deceived me. The man responsible for me losing my crown.
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Oh my. That sounds ominous. Does that mean you wouldn’t be open to finding a Daddy who can help you get on your feet?”
In theory it all sounded so good, but fresh from a heartbreak, I couldn’t think of trusting another Daddy like that again.
“I-I don’t know.”
“That’s okay. We can talk about it some more, but just so you know, the caregiver relationship isn’t inherently sexual. Many of our caregivers are just looking for someone to take care of and to guide them.”
“Oh, okay.”
Phoenix rose to his feet. “This is what we’re going to do.
You’re going to follow me to the closet where we keep supplies and pick out all the clothes that you want for now.
You can wash up, get dressed, then join us for breakfast, and I’ll introduce you to the rest of our angels.
Afterward, we’ll go to my office and have you fill out some forms so I can get to know you a little better and see how Halo House can best help you get on your feet. How does that sound?”
“Okay.” Honestly, it all sounded great in theory, but I was still skeptical.
I nodded and stood. “Thank you, Phoenix. I don’t think I said that last night.
Everything’s a mess right now, and I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m feeling a little better that I don’t have to worry about where I’m going to sleep. ”
His smile was warm and inviting. “You’re welcome, dear. That’s the vision of Halo House, to provide refuge for those who need it. Someone once did the same for me, and now I extend the same hand to others who need it most.”