See And Hear Nothing!

THEODORE

I had no idea how long it had been since I'd passed out from being fucked repeatedly.

Evander had made sure he got his fill. I looked over at his sleeping form and scowled. At least he was alive. My gaze went to his soft cock, and I scowled harder. Even soft, he was big. Who needed that much endowment? I tapped my comms.

“Your Highness.”

The communicator crackled against my wrist. I answered before the first signal had fully stabilized.

“This is Theodore.”

“Your Highness,” the officer replied immediately. “We've restored access through the planetary shield.”

My heart skipped. “You did?”

“Yes, sir. The barrier is down. Rescue teams are already en route to your location. Based on our latest scan, we should reach the cave within twenty minutes.”

Relief washed over me so suddenly I had to brace myself against the wall. “Thank the stars...”

“We'll have medical personnel with us. General Evander will receive treatment the moment we arrive.”

“I understand.” The line disconnected.

For a long moment, I simply stood there. Then reality crashed back into me.

I looked toward Evander. He was still asleep, exhaustion having finally claimed him. A knot tightened in my stomach.

They couldn't see us like this. I stood up and grimaced at the feel of Evander’s cum seeping down my legs. I used my hand to collect it, looking for a discreet place to clean it with. When I found none, I decided to wipe it on Evander's trousers. If asked, I could say he'd managed to come on his own. It's not like he'd know if it was true or not.

I hurriedly gathered my scattered clothing and dressed as quickly as stiff muscles would allow. Every movement reminded me of the choice I'd made, and I forced myself to ignore the discomfort.

Then I crossed back to Evander.

Carefully, trying not to wake him, I helped straighten his uniform and fasten the parts that had come undone during the ordeal. By the time I finished, he looked less like a man who had narrowly survived death and more like a general who had simply collapsed from exhaustion.

I stepped back. No... something was still wrong. My pulse quickened. The scent, of course. Anyone would notice it on me immediately.

I snatched up the communicator again. “This is Theodore. Put me through to the rescue team.”

A few seconds later, the officer answered. “Your Highness?”

“The moment you breach the cave...” I lowered my voice. “Only you are to enter first.”

There was a brief pause. “...Understood.”

“I need to tell you something before anyone else comes inside.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And bring a military-grade scent blocker.”

The silence on the other end lasted only a heartbeat. “...We'll have one with us.”

“Good.” I swallowed hard. “No one else enters until you've spoken to me.”

“I understand, Your Highness.”

The transmission ended. I lowered my wrist slowly and looked back at Evander. I could only hope that, by the time the rescue team arrived, I would have figured out how to explain the one thing I could never take back.

The first sound was faint, like metal striking stone. Then came the rumble.

I shot to my feet, every muscle in my body tensing as muffled voices echoed beyond the blocked entrance.

Chunks of rock shifted. Light spilled into the cave in thin, brilliant shafts before the opening widened enough for a single figure to squeeze through.

Officer Brynn.

He stepped into the cavern, his helmet light sweeping across the darkness until it landed on us. His expression changed, confusion, realization, then shock all ran across his face in the fraction of a second. For a heartbeat, he simply stared.

“Your High—”

I crossed the distance between us in seconds and seized the front of his uniform, forcing him back against the rock wall.

“Listen to me,” I said, my voice low enough that no one outside could hear. “You will forget anything you think you saw in this cave.”

His face had gone pale. “Y-Your Highness...”

“You will forget anything you think you smelled.”

He swallowed hard.

“If I hear so much as a whisper of this reaching another soul, I will personally see to it that you lose your commission.”

He nodded frantically.

“I'll ensure you're stripped of your rank, exiled from Avindel, and if I discover you betrayed me willingly...” My grip tightened. “...I will make certain your family bears the consequences of your choice.”

“I understand,” he breathed. “I swear it.”

I searched his face for several long seconds before finally releasing him. “The scent blocker.”

He immediately unclipped a sealed canister from his belt and handed it over without another word. I activated it, letting the neutralizing mist settle over the cave until I was satisfied nothing remained that could raise questions.

Only then did I nod toward the entrance. “You may call the others.”

Within moments, medics and soldiers flooded into the cavern. Their attention went straight to General Evander.

“Easy,” one of the medics said. “Lift on three.”

They transferred him carefully onto a stretcher, checking his pulse and vital signs as they worked. No one asked questions. If any of them noticed anything unusual, they had the discipline not to voice it.

One medic finally glanced toward me. “Your Highness... Do you know how the General survived the venom?”

I met his gaze without hesitation. “He endured it.”

The medic frowned. “The doctor said—”

“He found a way to force the venom to run its course,” I interrupted evenly. “General Evander's will has always been stronger than most men. He forced himself through it.”

The soldiers exchanged uncertain looks, but none of them challenged the explanation. General Evander's reputation alone was enough to make the answer believable.

The stretcher was lifted. “We're ready to move.”

I gave a single nod and followed them out into the open air for the first time in what felt like an eternity. Fresh wind struck my face. Dropships waited beyond the shattered entrance, their engines humming as rescue personnel secured the perimeter.

As we boarded, Officer Brynn fell into step beside me.

“The rat forces responsible for your capture have been eliminated, Your Highness,” he reported quietly. “The nest has been destroyed, and the surviving hostiles have been taken into custody.”

I stared out across the scarred landscape. “So it's over.”

“Yes, sir.”

I looked back once toward the cave before stepping aboard the transport. It was over. At least, that was what I intended everyone to believe.