Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Unwilling
Alaric waited for Carlton, but the minutes ticked by with no sign of Carlton’s return. The prince began to wonder if perhaps Carlton somehow managed to find a way back to his own time. The thought seemed absurd, yet stranger things had happened in this bizarre turn of events. Alaric paced the length of his chamber, his mind racing with possibilities.
He then paused mid-step, considering the implications if Carlton had indeed returned to the future. Would that mean the present-day Carlton would cease to exist? Or would he simply reappear as if nothing had changed?
The crown prince’s mind raced with questions, each more perplexing than the last. He began to fidget, pacing restlessly before finally stopping at his chamber door. He hesitated. Alaric knew Carlton had been adamant about not being followed, but surely that didn’t mean Alaric should just sit idly by while his best friend vanished into thin air! Yet some small part of him hesitated - even if future Carlton seemed absurd at times, he was still reliable in his own peculiar way... right?
Alaric sighed heavily as he considered of Carlton’s pregnancy. It defied belief that such a strong, masculine man could carry children - but since Carlton was pregnant... strong and masculine as he was...Was he truly okay alone right now?
His handsome face was etched with exhaustion from the weight of these extraordinary circumstances. In the end, Alaric decided to change into his sleeping robe, the soft fabric doing little to soothe his frayed nerves. He would wait for Carlton; see how things unfolded. If Carlton didn’t come back by morning, Alaric vowed to send the guards out searching. For now, he sat on the edge of his bed, ready to finally rest.
But just as he began to lower himself onto the mattress, the chamber door burst open with a resounding bang!
Alaric leapt to his feet, startled by the sudden intrusion. His heart raced as he tried to discern who - or what - had just barged in unannounced. He was shocked to see a big man stumble into his chamber, breathing heavily and moving with unsteady steps. It took him a moment to recognize the disheveled figure as none other than Carlton himself! Alaric’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of his friend in such a state.
Before he could even attempt to rise from the bed and assist Carlton, the Duke suddenly lunged forward with surprising speed. In an instant, Carlton had pinned Alaric down beneath his weight, trapping the prince against the mattress. Alaric struggled briefly but found himself helplessly immobilized by Carlton’s sheer bulk.
Carlton loomed over him, panting and flushed, sweat dripping from his brow. His usually commanding voice emerged soft and slurred as he gazed down at Alaric with bleary confusion.
"Why are you here...?" Carlton asked, sounding utterly baffled by this turn of events.
Alaric blinked up at him incredulously. This was clearly the crown prince’s private chamber - where else would he be sleeping? The thought that Carlton might actually be drunk crossed Alaric’s mind.
"Carlton, are you drunk right now?" he asked, trying to keep his tone even despite the absurdity of the situation.
"Not... not drunk..." Carlton slurred in response. But then he paused mid-sentence, closing his eyes as if wracked by some sudden pain or discomfort. His brow furrowed and he let out a low groan.
Alaric gripped Carlton’s shoulders, genuine concern etched on his face as he watched the Duke grimace in pain. As Alaric leaned in closer, he realized there was no telltale scent of alcohol on Carlton’s breath - this wasn’t drunkenness causing his friend’s erratic behavior.
With a furrowed brow, Alaric pressed the back of his hand to Carlton’s forehead, feeling the unnatural heat radiating from his skin. The crown prince gasped softly at the realization.
"It seems you have quite a fever," Alaric said with worry coloring his tone. "You’re burning up! I’m going to call for the royal physician at once."
He tried to shift out from under Carlton’s weighty form but found himself firmly pinned down by sheer bulk and gravity. Alaric placed both hands against Carlton’s chest in an attempt to push him away... only for a low moan to escape those sensual lips instead!
"Ahnnngg..."
Alaric froze, cheeks flushing crimson as he belatedly recalled just how perverted future-Carlton could be. He snatched his hands back as if burned, mortified by the intimate contact.
"S-sorry! I only meant to push you off of me," Alaric stammered out, ears burning with embarrassment.
Carlton seemed to be struggling with some inner turmoil, his conflicted expression twisting into a scowl even as he shivered from chills. The Duke’s words came out in a muttering jumble.
"Yo...You’re always looking for excuses to touch me... Why are you here? If this keeps up...I..."
Alaric felt utterly lost and confused by Carlton’s feverish ramblings. Had the high temperature addled his friend’s mind?
He scoffed internally at the absurd accusation. Him, a pervert? As if he were the perverted one constantly groping and molesting Carlton at every opportunity. The only one always groping and fondling was Carlton! And now, because of some fever, Alaric was being painted as the lustful one? Preposterous! This fever had clearly scrambled Carlton’s brain!
With a huff of indignation, Alaric shoved at Carlton’s broad shoulder with all his might. To no avail, of course - the Duke remained unmoving and unyielding as a mountain.
"Carlton, you’re far stronger than I am! I can’t budge you an inch. Please move aside so I can summon Lucas or another physician to tend to your fever."
"...You..." Carlton growled in response, sounding more irritated by the second.
"Yes? What is it?" Alaric asked with a mixture of concern and exasperation.
"Lucas... Lucas said you’re my medicine," Carlton stated flatly, his voice devoid of emotion despite the obvious hunger burning in those sapphire depths.
His piercing gaze bored into Alaric’s like twin blue lasers, sending shivers down Alaric’s spine despite himself. But then Alaric noticed something peculiar about the Duke’s expression - it wasn’t one of feverish delirium or pain after all.
No, those heated eyes and flushed cheeks were the telltale signs of arousal! Realization dawned on Alaric like a bucket of ice water dumped over his head.
"You... you’re not feverish at all, are you?" Alaric accused, eyes narrowing. "Carlton, what in the world did Lucas say to you? And more importantly - what did YOU do during those missing hours?!"
Alaric’s mind raced with possibilities, none of them good. Had Carlton consumed some sort of aphrodisiac or love potion? Was that why he was acting so strangely and aggressively?
The prince swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way his heart pounded in his chest at the thought of Carlton being... well, horny for him. He shook his head firmly.
"Carlton," Alaric said sternly despite the quiver in his voice. "If this is your idea of a joke, it’s not funny! Now please move before I really do call for help!"
Alaric’s heart raced as Carlton seemed to tune him out completely, the Duke’s words devolving into a desperate litany.
"I... I can’t take it anymore..." Carlton groaned, his hips grinding against Alaric’s thigh with increasing urgency. The prince felt a growing hardness press insistently against his leg through their clothes - Carlton was fully erect and clearly not in control of himself.
Alaric flushed scarlet at the intimate contact, memories of yesterday’s heated kiss flooding back unbidden. Not again! After yesterday’s scandalous kiss and groping, now Carlton wanted to take things even further?!
"What are you doing?! Remember, you’re pregnant!! We can’t do anything like this!" Alaric exclaimed desperately, trying to squirm away from that intoxicating proximity.
"Pregnant?" Carlton echoed blankly before shaking his head. "No, this won’t get you pregnant," he murmured against Alaric’s neck, voice low and husky with desire.
Alaric gasped as a shudder ran through him at the sensation of those lips brushing his skin. He felt like he was losing his mind. How could Carlton be so forgetful? He was the one who was pregnant, not him! The prince tried to squirm away again but found himself firmly pinned beneath the Duke’s considerable weight.
"Alaric, please," Carlton begged breathlessly, burying his face in the crook of Alaric’s neck. His hot breath ghosted over Alaric’s sensitive skin."You wanted to do this... I know you did. Don’t deny it.. "
The Duke licked a stripe up Alaric’s throat before nipping sharply at his pulse point. "I didn’t want to do this... but my body is so hot and achy..."
"No, stop this at once!" Alaric cried out desperately. "Carlton, you’re not thinking clearly! You’re going to regret forcing yourself on me like this!"
He still tried to struggle with all his might but it was no use - Carlton overpowered him easily despite being pregnant. It was like trying to wrestle a bear - futile and exhausting.
In that moment, Alaric realized just how vastly superior Carlton was in terms of physical strength and skill. He had always known his best friend was formidable with a blade... but this? The sheer difference between them left him reeling.
"I don’t want to... I don’t want..." Carlton repeated like a mantra, but it did little to quell the growing arousal evident in his movements.
Alaric’s heart pounded as he watched Carlton’s body language and actions contradict his words. The Duke muttered over and over that he didn’t want to do this, even as his lips trailed hot kisses along Alaric’s neck and his hips ground insistently against the prince.
He gritted his teeth, trying desperately to maintain control of the situation despite the conflicting signals from Carlton’s body. "Carlton, stop! I’m not your Alaric... I won’t give in to you," he insisted through clenched teeth, even as a traitorous heat began to pool low in his belly.
But Carlton seemed increasingly frustrated by Alaric’s resistance. His gaze turned icy cold and piercing as if staring into another realm entirely. The coldness of Carlton’s gaze cut through the haze of lust threatening to overwhelm him. It was so at odds with the passion burning in those blue depths that Alaric faltered for a moment.
That chilling stare... wasn’t this present-Carlton? But no way... If this was the cold Carlton, he wouldn’t be doing any of this.
Alaric’s thoughts spiraled into a maelstrom of confusion. He shoved the terrifying thought aside – there was no way his best friend could be capable of such depravity. This had to be future Carlton, some twisted version corrupted by time and circumstance.
With renewed determination, Alaric struggled against Carlton’s grip. "Carlton," he pleaded desperately, "please... don’t do anything rash! I’ll call Lucas..."
"Lucas..." Carlton muttered absentmindedly before fixing Alaric with that unsettling blank stare once more. He seemed utterly lost in another world now, his hands moving beneath his shirt as if reaching for something hidden within himself...
Carlton pulled out a small bottle filled with an unsettlingly viscous liquid. The sight of it sent a shiver down Alaric’s spine. He had a sinking feeling that whatever was in that container would only make this situation worse.
"Lucas said I should give this to you..." Carlton murmured, his voice flat and devoid of emotion despite the glint in his eyes.
Before Alaric could even begin to process those ominous words, Carlton tipped the bottle and poured its contents directly into the prince’s open mouth.
