第9章 Chapter (2)

. He wanted to. Fuck, did he want to. But he couldn’t. For the first time in his adult life, Rohan wasn’t sure of his control. A telepathic merge was too intimate a thing, more intimate than sex. There was always the risk of revealing something he shouldn’t, especially when he wanted to merge with someone this badly. Even this shallow contact of their minds felt almost overwhelming.

Control. He was in control. Structure, balance, focus, control. He was in control. He was in control, dammit.

With a curse, Rohan wrenched himself away and curled his hand into a fist. His fingers were fucking shaking. Shaking.

Prince Jamil sagged against the stall, looking flushed and dazed. He was panting, his lips parted and his pupils blown.

Rohan wanted to get the hell away from him. He nearly did. But he liked to think he was a decent person. He couldn’t leave the prince in this state. Prince Jamil was still riding a high, the kind of high that was usually achieved only through a deep merge. But their unique, freakishpatibility had fucked everything up, making the shallow contact of their minds feel better than the deepest telepathic merge Rohan had ever indulged in. Coupled with the fact that the prince was recently widowed, his mind hungry for any mental touch, it was understandable that he would be in such a state.

“Look at me,” he said, not unkindly, taking the prince’s wrist again and stroking it lightly. Rohan was reluctant to touch him, still not trusting his self-control, but there was little choice. Crashing down after a merge could be absolutely brutal and disorienting if the person wasn’t brought back down gently. “Look at me, Highness.”

Slowly, he watched the prince’s gaze focus on him. “Your Highness,” he corrected automatically, still sounding a little breathless.

Rohan almost laughed. “Go back to the palace, Your Highness,” he said, dropping his hand and trying to pretend his hand didn’t feel empty. “Go back and don’te back here.”

Jamil didn’t move.

He stared at Rohan for a long moment before saying,

“Who are you?”