In actual fact, Jagger hadn’t had many lovers before. In the past, he’d simply been too busy with his studies and his military training. He’d always preferred males when he did take a lover, though his parents had been disappointed he wouldn’t give them an heir. Jagger wasn’t interested in settling down and raising a family, and really would have preferred his father to name one of his many first cousins as the heir to the throne and title. He had little interest in it, and wanted to travel and see the universe instead of being tied down by responsibilities and duties to his country. Up until six months ago, he thought he had plenty of time to decide about such things, but his father’s health had greatly deteriorated since his mother’s capture by the Rogers, and now he wasn’t so sure.

Nikolai stirred again and opened his beautiful eyes. For a moment, he seemed disoriented until he saw Jagger. A big smile lit up his face, and he scooted closer, latching his mouth onto the closest nipple to him. As his hot tongue encircled it, Jagger hissed in a sharp breath. “Well, good morning to you too, Niki.”

Nikolai looked up at him with a wicked smile. “Good morning, little Master.” He gave Jagger’s nipple a gentle tug with his teeth, and apparently there was a direct line from it to Jagger’s cock, because it stood up immediately and took notice.

“Just Master,” Jagger corrected, pulling away to sit up and tugging Niki up to sit beside him. “Now stop, because I need to ask you something.”

Niki sat beside him, an arm around his shoulders as he leaned back against the headboard. “Sure, go ahead.”

“Why have you been so…agreeable since you woke up yesterday? I told you that you were my hostage and my concubine, and I expected you to be angry. Instead you seemed downright happy about it. Are you trying to trick me, Niki? Is this all some kind of plan to make me think you’re content so you can escape? Because I can assure you escape is impossible. I have this room heavily guarded, and I would never let you get away from me, anyway.”

Nikolai dropped his gaze, a slight smile playing around his lips, but answered quickly enough. “Oh, no, Princeling. I…uh…I’m happy to be here with you.”

Jagger turned in his arms to face him, fixing him with a hard stare. “That’s just it—why? How could you possibly be happy about being captured and taken away from your family? I mean I could understand it if you’d been mistreated, or…”

“That’s it. I was mistreated.”

Jagger turned a suspicious gaze on him. “In what way? You said the Balanescus were your family.”

“They are, sort of. My…uh…my mother died and my father married a woman who had some sons. They never really liked me, so they were mean to me. Really, really mean. Made me do all the work around the house while they did nothing. And if I didn’t get it all done, they’d beat me.” Nikolai sighed heavily, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. “They wouldn’t even let me sleep in a real bed. I had to sleep on the floor near the fireplace…in the cinders to keep warm.”

“But that’s outrageous! Didn’t your father try to stop it?”

“Well, uh, he died too. So then I was left with my wicked stepmother and my wicked stepbrothers.” He sighed heavily again, and Jagger put a hand over his and squeezed his hand.

“Then why do they want you back so badly?”

Nikolai shrugged. “To do all their work, I guess. Then too, they have a lot of pride. They won’t like the idea that you tried to steal from them.”

Jagger leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Well, you don’t have to worry about any of them ever again. I’ll take care of you now, and if they try to take you away from me, they’ll soon learn what a Jayronian warrior is capable of.”

“Thank you, little Master,” Nikolai said softly, his hand sneaking out to squeeze Jagger’s cock through the sheet.

“Not…little Master,” Jagger managed to say, and tried to frown at him. “Just Master!”

Nikolai lowered his lashes and moved his head down to lick and suck at Jagger’s nipple. “Oh, sorry, Master.”

“I don’t think you’re sorry at all, and what do you mean by ‘little’? I’m quite tall for a Jayronian! Oh, Niki…” He squirmed as Nikolai blew across his sensitized nipple.

“Ah, but not on my planet. On my planet you’d be considered petite.”

“Petite!”

“Mmm…” Nikolai teased, licking at his nipple and with each word. “Little. Dainty. Cute. And very tasty.”

Jagger tried to bat him off, but Nikolai caught hold of his hand and pulled it above his head, holding it there with ease. Jagger squirmed, uncomfortable with this reversal of roles. He tried to get away until he realized Nikolai was only holding him, not trying to hurt him. He relaxed then, pleased his big Lycan felt comfortable enough with him to tease, and strangely, he had no fear at all of the man. He knew instinctively that he would never hurt him.

“Maybe it’s because on your planet, you’re all big, overgrown, freakishly large…clodhoppers!” This would have been a fine comeback, he decided, if not for the girlish squeal he gave out right after as Niki buried his face in his armpit. He’d always been a bit ticklish and now that the big ox knew it, he was torturing him unmercifully. “No, please! I surrender!” He threw back his head and laughed until Nikolai released his hands and moved further down his body, going for his nether regions. “Oh gods, Niki!”

A knock on the door interrupted their play and Jagger sat up, pushing Nikolai away, and pulling the cover over both of them. “Come in,” he called out, and the door opened to reveal a servant, who quickly averted his eyes.

“Sorry to interrupt you, your Highness, but your father is asking for you. He’d like for you to come right away.”

Jagger blew out a long suffering breath. “Did he say why, Higgins?”

“I believe it has something to do with the Rogers, your Highness.”

Jagger sighed impatiently again. “Tell my father I’ll be there shortly.” The servant bowed his way out, and Jagger swung his legs over the side of the bed. He went over to his clothes cabinet and bent over looking through things, while Nikolai lay on his back, being very quiet all of a sudden.

“The Rogers? What’s that about, Princeling?”

“Huh?” Jagger turned around to regard him. “The Rogers? My father has business with them, that’s all.” Jagger frowned at him, unsure how much to tell him. He’d already decided he wanted to keep Niki. Maybe it was fast—well, gods, of course it was fast. Jagger knew that, but the feelings he had for the Lycan were strong, even though they were so new. He’d never been as terribly attracted this fast to anyone before, and the fact that Niki seemed to return his feelings were thrilling to Jagger. Niki didn’t even seem to mind the fact that he was now Jagger’s concubine, and if his stepbrothers were truly cruel to him, then perhaps he had rescued Niki, in a way. That certainly made him feel better about the situation.

Even though Lycans were said to be fierce and dangerous, all Niki seemed to want to do was cuddle and play with him. Still he decided not to confide in him yet about the Rogers and his mother. There would be time later for that.

“What kind of business?” Niki asked.

“Nothing for you to worry about. Now hush and let me find something for you to wear. I can’t find anything large enough to cover you,” Jagger said, standing up with his hands on his hips, glaring at Nikolai as if it were his fault.

“Why not just give me my own clothes back? Where are they anyway?”

Jagger shook his head. “They’re ruined. The servants cut them off you while you were unconscious yesterday.” He looked back toward the bed and shrugged at Nikolai’s raised eyebrow. “It was the only way they could undress you. You’re quite large, Niki.” He thought for a moment and snapped his fingers. “I have it!” He rang a bell next to the door and in only seconds, a servant appeared.

“Go up to the attic and find my grandfather’s trunks. Quickly! There are some clothes in it that will fit my concubine. Hurry back—the king is waiting for us.” He turned from the door and began pulling on his own clothing, casting a glance over at the bed where Nikolai still lounged. “You could be helping me dress, you know. That is part of your new duties.”

“If I helped you dress, I’m afraid we wouldn’t get too far,” Nikolai said lazily, his gaze on the prince’s every move. “I’d have to stop every few minutes to touch, and it might be a slow process.”

Jagger gave a decidedly un-princely snort and sat down on a chair with his socks and boots. “I have all my…uh…erogenous zones covered up now, so you can come help me with my boots.”

Nikolai got up and walked over to him, bending down in front of him. “Oh, but Princeling, that’s where you’re wrong. All of your parts are erogenous. For example, take this little foot.” Smiling, Nikolai took it in his hand. “This little foot is very sexy.” He bent over it and his tongue licked all the way up the arch to the big toe, which he took in his mouth and sucked with a loud slurping noise.

Jagger laughed and tried to pull his foot from Nikolai’s hand but couldn’t budge it. He stuck his other foot against his chest to push him back and only succeeded in aiding its capture by Nikolai’s other hand. This foot got the same treatment, and soon the prince was laughing and squirming as he tried to get away, landing on his ass on the floor beside Nikolai.

The door opened and Higgins stood breathlessly in the doorway, clutching the clothing, his eyes open wide in alarm. “Your Highness? Are you…is everything…?”

Jagger looked up at him from the floor, still trying to tug his feet away from Nikolai. “Everything is perfectly fine. Just put the clothing down and leave, please. Tell my father I’ll be out in just a moment.”