Sticks and Stones

Chapter Eight

A week had gone by since he'd met his mate. A full week since his life's trajectory changed forever. He didn't want a mate. It wasn't fair that all of this was happening to him.

He should've never let her into his house. Now everything was tainted with her. He couldn't sleep at night without her scent hitting him from somewhere. Couldn't walk into the living room without envisioning her behind the bar. Fuck, he couldn't even go to his local without waiting to spot her walking through the door.

This new life was misery. Caspian wanted none of it.

"Are you still moping Cas?" Luis called.

"It's not moping if it feels like my life is over."

"She was one woman. There will be others."

"She was my mate." Which sucked balls. There wouldn't really be others. No matter how much he wanted them. "She's still my mate. And if my fucking body has anything to do with it, there won't be others."

He'd discovered a few... changes where his body was concerned.

To put it bluntly, this baby couldn't get hard.

He'd watched no end of porn. He'd tried beating one off a million times over. Fuck, he'd pop a rib out and suck himself off if he thought it'd do something. But if he didn't picture that evil minx's face, then his cock didn't respond.

He could flick it. But his dick stick was limp.

"You just need something to get you out of this slump," Luis said. "The boards update later. How about we pick up a good bounty and have done with it?"

"It's not a fucking slump, jackass."

Slumps weren't destined to last forever. Unless by some miracle there was a way to change mates, then Cas was stuck this way indefinitely.

"Then keep moaning about it and see what happens." Cas wasn't moping. He had every right to feel like shit right now. "Better yet, continue with this depressed phase and Claudio will start asking questions. Do you want to explain all of this to him?"

Fuck that.

Claudio knowing would only make this harder. Sure, the King was his best friend—but he and Claudio were bound to have wildly different views on this whole ordeal.

"Claudio wouldn't understand."

"He'd tell you to take your dick out of your mouth and go get her."

"And he wouldn't see anything wrong with doing that."

"I don't know, maybe he'd be onto something," Luis pondered. "Keep her here for long enough and she might see the light."

"Oh yes, because when has Stockholm syndrome not been the answer?"

"I'm just saying..."

Cas stabbed his fingers through his hair, pulling on it in his stress. "I'm not kidnapping her. I'm not tracking her down. I was content being friends before, but now—now it's not possible."

"Suit yourself Princess. But I'm done with this crying. Get up and get sorted. You're coming with me to Morio's."

Cas rolled his eyes—but maybe it was what he needed. He was starting to smell. And if he spent any longer sitting on this couch, he'd start to look like it.

"Remember what I said, right Luis?"

"You say a lot of things," The other demon sassed. "I can't be expected to retain everything."

"Not a word of this to Claudio. Or anyone. Especially Claudio."

"My lips are sealed."

Best friend or not—Claudio couldn't know. The King was insane. He'd spent his whole life waiting and searching for a mate. He wouldn't understand Caspian's problems. He'd give some big guy talk about going out and getting the girl no matter the cost—only the cost where Sofia was concerned was simply too great.