The Rejected Luna’s Prince By Aurora Archer
Chapter 28 – Favors, Trades, And Bargains.
(Caspien)
I carried Willa up to Emmett’s room and tucked her in. placing a kiss on both of their cheeks before I went to the room that, hopefully, Willa would share with me in the future.
I had some work to catch up on, usually, I worked on weekends. I knew I was a hypocrite to convince Willa to take weekends off, but she also had a kid and college to worry about. I could see how tired she was starting to look, even though she visibly brightened up when I sat in front of her at the restaurant.
We dropped Emmett off and picked up Cali on the way to work the following day.
Emmett reached out his arms, and I scooped him up, holding him close to me.
I really liked him. He was different than I expected any kid to be, not that I had been around many children, even when I was one.
“I could get used to this,” Cali whistled, getting into the car, “This air conditioning is fresh, and I mean fresh. Did you import it from the North Pole or something?”
“Something like that,” Caspien actually gave her a real smile.
Cali waved at us and walked in, giving us a moment of space.
“You’ll need this when you go home,” I fished out a fob from my pocket that opened her new front gate.
“What is it?” She looked curiously at the gray fob turning it over in her hand.
“It’s for your new front gate.”
“Since when did they put a there? And why would you have the fob?” She looked up at me, her stunning green eyes slanted slightly.
“I had them install it,” Honestly was best with her, and I had nothing to hide. Not from her, anyway.
“You had them install it on my apartment?”
“Well, technically..”
“Technically?” She eyed me, crossing her arms.
“Technically I own it,”
She closed her eyes and shook her head once, but a small smile played on her beautiful lips.
“I-” Willa opened her mouth and then shut it, taking the fob from my outstretched hand.
“Just doing my part to help the community,” I flashed her a smile, and she bit down on hers.
“Well, thank you.” I must have looked taken aback.
“I wasn’t expecting that.”
“You’re the one that needs to work on your manners,” She crossed her arms and tilted her head up at me.
“Not the thank you but you didn’t fight me on it.”
“I don’t fight you on anything logical, security is logical. And appreciated.”
“I appreciate you appreciate that. I’ll see you both on Friday.”
“Okay,” She nodded, a look I couldn’t quite decipher crossing her face.
“Also, I’m coming in for my favorite cup of coffee in the city,”
“Okay,” Her face lit up.
Driving back, I already missed them.
Even having them near me, knowing they would be there when I went downstairs. Cooking breakfast with Emmett in the morning, and having Willa in my arms, talking for hours.
It was only a weekend, actually less than two days really, but it changed everything for me. I already knew I was committed from the moment I saw her again in the restaurant. But actually getting to know Emmett, he felt familiar, he felt like a missing piece of me, of us, that I didn’t know I was looking for.
My apartment felt empty without them. No, it always felt empty. I was rarely there between my offices for The Dracos Group and dealing with pack business.
With them, it felt full, it felt like home for the first time.
(Willa)
I couldn’t handle how distracted I was. I thought of Caspien more often than I admitted, even to myself, since the first time I saw him, and Iris claimed him as our mate.
Ever since I spent the night at his house, I felt like I could hardly focus on anything else. During work, cla*s*ses, and studying, my thoughts always drifted to him.
It wasn’t just s****l, it mostly wasn’t, actually.
Of course, I thought of his head in between my legs, the way he hovered over me, watching me with his fingers buried deep inside me. The way he growled when he knew I was starting to o.rgasm. The way he looked thankful when I let him touch me. Every one of those thoughts sent warmth through me, settling at my core.
But mostly, it was the way he talked to Emmett and really listened to him. How he didn’t get annoyed with Emmett’s questions, how he treated him as an equal.
How he invited me into every pack conversation, he let me choose how I wanted to proceed with our relationship and I never felt any pressure from him.
I had never felt so respected, so completely myself.
There was nothing I wanted to hide from him, nothing I didn’t want him to see, even the bad parts.
I didn’t have to suppress any of myself; I never felt like I had to change. I knew that we could work through anything together.
Friday slowly approached; I felt like the minutes he came to the restaurant and even our weekly date wasn’t enough. I was becoming addicted to him.
“Can we go now?” Emmett tugged at my hand.
I had to admit that I was also waiting all day for six. Friday I had my lightest cla*s*s schedule and I finished up at the restaurant after. It still gave me an entire hour after I picked up Emmett to shower and change and obsessively check the clock.
When the door buzzed we both jumped. I smiled down at Emmett and took his little bag we got this week from him. I knew Caspien had things for him but he insisted on packing things to show up and some of his favorite nighttime books.
Caspien met us downstairs and showed me how to work the elevator with my fingerprint. I felt like a d.amn spy. When we were heading up the elevator back to the sky I felt all the anticipation and nerves settle, and like I could breathe again for the first time all week.
He wrapped his arm around me and I settled into his embrace as we watched Emmett gaze at the skyline in just as much awe as the last time he saw it.
“Do you want to redecorate?” He asked as soon as we were settled back in.
“No, it’s fine,” I looked around, the space was a bit empty but tasteful. It would be hard to make this ma*s*sive space cosy anyways and I had no idea where to start.
I had never decorated anything. I moved from the packhouse to the cabin and then here. The cabin was what we took from home, and then my apartment here was whatever was cheapest. I didn’t make any decorating decisions myself, and I didn’t know where to start. I wasn’t exactly sure my own style either.
“Are you sure?”
“For now, this is perfect.”
It felt like home when we were here. I don’t think the decor mattered as much as being here with Caspien and Emmett.
We ordered dinner, enough Chinese food to feed an army, and Emmett’s first time having it. I loved watching him try new things, and he loved most of it.
My phone buzzed as I was helping Caspien put away the leftover, it was such a normal thing that I didn’t expect to be doing with an Alpha Prince.
My phone rang on the counter and I saw Cali’s name flashing.
“Mind if I take this?”
“Not at all,” Caspien gave me a smile I hadn’t seen before.
“Hi,” I answered, she never called to talk, she rarely ever called at all, mostly preferred a text.
“I’m almost there,”
“What?”
“I’m stealing Emmett, just for the night; Loreli has been begging.”
I looked at Caspien, who turned away, pretending to do something.
“Really?” I twirled a piece of my hair on my finger, studying Caspiens back.
“Really, really, completely up to me-er her. Nothing else.”
I raised my eyebrows, but I knew Caspien couldn’t see.
“If you want,” She trailed off, she was rarely anything but completely confident.
“So last minute?”
“Eh,”
“Fine,” I leaned back, “Actually, no. I’m not feeling great. I think I might turn in.” I yawned, and Caspien froze in his motions.
“Willa,” Her voice was hard, “You will not do this to me.”
“What did he give you?”
Caspien turned back to me, his eyes wide.
“Nothing,”
“You’re a s**t liar, even over the phone.”
“So are you; you’re even worse.”
“It’s not about me,” I laughed.
“He bought me that pair of boots I really wanted,”
“How did he know you wanted those?” My eyes were on Caspien’s downcast ones.
“He asked for a favor; I don’t do favors. However, I do trades,” I could hear the wicked smile in her voice.
“Still no,” I yawned again.
“Willa!” She almost yelled, “I want those boots.”
“What’s in it for me?”
“What’s in it for you?” She asked incredulously, “An entire night with your sexy dark night that has definitely killed like ten people,”
“At least,” I laughed, and Caspien eyed my with a sort of composed curiosity that bordered on confusion.
“You can’t turn my bargain on me,” She went on.
“I’ll think about it,”
“I’m literally outside,” She whisper yelled, “Does he live in an office building? What is this?” I sighed.
“Fine,”
“Don’t fine me, a your welcome on your knees is what I’ll be expecting tomorrow bright and early. He insisted that Emmett was back for breakfast.” My heart melted.
“I said fine, I’ll get him ready,” I hung up the phone staring at Caspien.
“So, Cali said she’s here to pick up Emmett for a sleepover,”
“Well, that’s a coincidence,” Caspien wiped his hands on his pants, something I had never seen him do before, “So, I guess, what should we do for the night?”
“I was thinking bed; I’m exhausted.”
“I could wake you up,” He raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t even know if Emmett wants to go,”
“Let me talk to him; I’ll send someone down to bring her up. I’m sure she’s curious about where I live.”
I bit my smile; I’m sure she was too.
Emmett was excited. The word sleepover instantly got him, and Caspien promised they could make waffles tomorrow.
We waited for ages, so much that Emmett asked me three times when Cali would be there, and Caspien was even starting to wonder.
Emmett yawned, and I saw it was nearing his bedtime anyways; I was debating calling Cali and just putting him to bed.
Caspien went out his front door, and I followed him, Emmett was curled on the couch.
“I’m going to check in with Holde-”
The elevator door dinged, opening to his front foyer.
Cali’s lips were swollen, her usually defined curls were messy, and she was tugging down her dress. Holden was next to her with the widest grin I had ever seen on his face, buttoning his shirt.
“Holden!” Caspien and I both yelled at the same time.
She wasn’t a werewolf, and I didn’t want her to get hurt. I knew that no matter what this was, it would only be a fling at best. He would leave her when he found his mate, no matter what he promised now.
I knew Cali wasn’t looking for anything either, but I didn’t want this to get messy, and I had a feeling it would. Caspien apparently felt the same thing.
“What?” Holden held his hands up, walking out of the elevator, “Not everyone has to wait weeks before having s*x with their mate.”