CHAPTER 133: CHAPTER 128: A FREE DAY (1)

The silence between them barely had time to settle before the door creaked open.

Edward entered with the energy of a long-suffering man seconds from dragging them out by their collars. "Unless the imperial bond comes with a sudden desire to turn every room into a war chamber, I suggest you move this elsewhere."

Damian didn’t even blink. "We are talking, and I thought you found it entertaining as well."

"In my dining room," Edward replied, completely ignoring the part where he enjoyed it. "And unless the biscuits are vital to statecraft, I recommend you take it to your quarters, Your Majesty."

Gabriel stood, trying to suppress the flicker of amusement on his face. Damian muttered something under his breath but gestured for Gabriel to follow. Something ticked Edward and today he didn’t want to have his mood ruined.

"You could’ve just said you missed the silence." Gabriel said before reaching for the door, a guard from the other side already opening it. A shiver went down his spine; he did not like how prepared the palace staff was. He realized that most likely all the staff knew what happened the other night, and that didn’t sit well with him.

"I do. Desperately." Edward gestured toward the door. "Out."

They exited together, flanked by silence and soft footsteps. But the moment the familiar doors of Damian’s private wing came into view, Gabriel’s pace faltered, not enough to be noticed, perhaps, but enough for him to feel it.

The halls of the palace were quieter now, empty in that particular way spaces get after something important has been said and not quite resolved. Gabriel didn’t speak, and Damian didn’t look back until they were inside the study.

The door shut behind them with a dull click. The room, as always, smelled faintly of firewood and whatever cologne Damian wore, sharp, clean, and expensive. Familiar.

Damian did not hesitate. He turned, eyes gold and narrowed, locking onto Gabriel with a hunger that had not subsided even after his rut had ended.

"You have been walking around like that all day," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous as he moved closer. "Do you even know what you are doing to me?"

Gabriel hardly had time to take a step back before his back met the door. Damian’s hand moved up next to his head, close enough to enclose him but not touching yet.

"What exactly am I doing?" Gabriel asked, tone cool, but his breath betrayed him, just a little too quick. Damian’s pheromones sent shivers up his spine, both comforting and arousing.

Damian inhaled, slow and deep, his nose brushing against Gabriel’s neck. The sound he made next was almost a growl, guttural and quiet. "You smell like mine."

A beat passed, stretched thin and tight. Gabriel’s hands moved to his waist, startling the man. "That’s because you made it so."

"I didn’t expect it to drive me this insane," Damian confessed, his voice strained now, like he was holding something barely at bay. "The rut has passed, and still...with you in a room, I forget what the hell I am thinking."

Gabriel let out a soft huff, half a scoff. "Maybe you just aren’t thinking in the first place."

Damian’s eyes gleamed, and his lips parted into a smile that revealed his white teeth. "You’re lucky I like you like this."

"Good," Gabriel said smoothly, fingers tightening briefly around Damian’s waist, "because I am not refundable." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

There was something electric in the air now, something heady and warm. Damian’s lips were close to Gabriel’s, but not quite touching. He was close enough to feel the puff of his breath, close enough to smell the soap, his fragrance, on Gabriel’s skin.

"I want more," Damian said, not as a command but as a truth laid bare. "Not just your scent. Not just the mark. I want you. All of it."

Gabriel tilted his head, a teasing smile forming at the corner of his mouth.

"Well," he said, drawing the word out, voice dry, "I would love to give you all of it, Your Majesty... but I am still very sore. You don’t get to break me twice in one week, no matter how golden your eyes are."

Damian let out a strangled sound that was part laughter, part frustration and dropped his head to Gabriel’s shoulder with a thud.

"Divine above," he muttered into the fabric. "You’re going to be the death of me."

"Not before I ruin your study at least once," Gabriel said, fingers sliding up to the back of Damian’s neck, teasing. "I have plans."

Damian exhaled, pressing his forehead against Gabriel’s collarbone as his arms finally wrapped around him, less predator and more man. "Should I call a physician?"

Gabriel chuckled softly, his fingers carding through Damian’s hair now, languid and unhurried. "There’s no need to call a physician for that," he murmured, lips brushing against Damian’s temple. "I’m just not used to being claimed like a favorite piece of state property."

Damian grumbled something unintelligible against his shoulder, warm breath making Gabriel’s skin twitch. When he finally lifted his head, his eyes had lost some of their sharp gleam, replaced by something quieter, softer. "You’re not property. You’re..." He paused, visibly sorting through the hundreds of words he could use, and rejecting them all. "You’re mine," he settled on, voice firm but careful. "But not in the way you’re mocking me for."

Gabriel’s smile tilted. "You say that, but you were very convincing with the wall routine."

"I was... am losing my mind," Damian muttered, stepping back only slightly, enough to let Gabriel breathe but not enough to fully let go. "It’s difficult to... think clearly. Around you."

"Flattering." Gabriel rolled his eyes playfully, finally pushing him just enough to slip out from the trap of Damian’s arms. "But now that you’ve ruined the tension with that adorable forehead thump, what exactly do you do in your free time, Your Majesty? If I’m supposed to be your partner in crime or policy, I should know."

Damian raised a brow, clearly amused. "Free time?"

"Yes, that little concept. It’s common among people who aren’t ruling an empire or ravishing their mate into early grave injuries." Gabriel crossed the room to a nearby chaise and sank into it with theatrical grace. "We have the rest of the day. No hearings. No paperwork. Not even Edward to glower at us over tea. So?"

Damian watched him with a gaze that flickered between appreciation and curiosity. "I read," he said at last, stepping toward the armchair opposite. "I used to write. I train. And when I can, I escape the palace. Ride out into the hills, just for a breath of air."

Gabriel blinked. "You ride horses?"

"Very well," Damian replied, a smirk threatening the edge of his mouth. "Do you?"

"I’ve ridden once," Gabriel said, arching a brow. "He tried to throw me off and I tried to curse him. It was a short-lived partnership."

Damian laughed, actually laughed, a warm, surprised sound that made Gabriel’s chest tighten in an unfamiliar way.

"Well," Damian said, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, "perhaps it’s time to teach you. The stables aren’t far. And it would be... private."

Gabriel tilted his head, considering. "Tempting. But I was hoping for something with less risk of getting thrown off a muscular beast today. I’ve had enough riding for a night, thank you."

Damian choked on his breath. "You’re impossible."