by Heather Long
The snap of her bra being unclipped had him licking his lips in anticipation. The pert, straining nipples were dark, too. Dusky, like her eyes. Both had pebbled to hard points, and then she flung herself backwards on the bed to unbutton and squirm to peel down the jeans that looked painted on.
A groan squeezed out of him as his cock seemed to practically throb when her breasts bounced and jiggled at the motion. Stretching out a hand, he gripped the jeans and tore them down the side, splitting the seams so he could wrench them off.
“Holy. Shit.” She exhaled, and the perfume of her desire struck him all at once. Discarding the two halves of the jeans he’d split, he stared at her long legs and then the tiny scrap of material standing between him and his objective.
“I think I just came,” she told him, and Seth chuckled. Goosebumps pebbled her skin, and the flush seemed to travel down like a path blazing its way across her abdomen to her thighs.
“You think?” he asked in a voice far rougher than he had ever used. “I don’t believe so, but we shall investigate.”
He snagged her panties, and her eyes widened when he pulled those apart.
“Those were expensive.” The fact that she panted out each word and her pupils dilated suggested she didn’t care.
That was good. He didn’t care either.
The headiness of her scent beckoned to him, and he closed the distance. One step from easing between her thighs, she stopped him with a foot against his chest. The peek at the delicate pink between her thighs riveted him far more than the strength in her leg.
“Seth.”
Dragging his gaze up her body to her face, he marveled at the slow smile she wore.
“You’re still dressed. Fair’s fair, big boy. You need to be naked, too.”
Dahlia had a very good point. Shedding all semblance of his humanity, he stripped away the shirt, then his boots, and finally his own jeans. The clothing disintegrated under the heat blazing from him. The light shimmered as his beast wrestled under his skin, as eager to get to Dahlia as he was. It was as if every molecule of his being strained in her direction.
When she would have pushed upward, he caught her foot and dragged her to him, wrapping that leg around his waist as he descended. His wings snapped out to slow his descent as he all but fell on her, and then he braced himself on one hand as he captured her face.
“Seth…you’re beautiful.”
“No,” he informed her. “You are.” Then he was done with words. Dahlia’s tongue could be sharp and inquisitive, but it was also hot, and darted against his in teasing flicks when he kissed her. The softness of her seemed to accept his weight as he settled against her.
He almost didn’t know where to put his hands first. Kissing Dahlia seemed to absorb every ounce of his attention, but his cock rested against the damp heat of her pussy, and she kept rolling her hips, even as she wrapped both legs around him. The slow grind promised to send him soaring, if it didn’t totally shred every ounce of his carefully constructed control.
The beast didn’t give a damn, and every time her tongue stroked his, it thrashed to be free. He tore his mouth from hers to kiss along her jaw, then to her throat. The steady thrum of her heart excited him on another level. He’d just closed his lips over one nipple, when she sank her fingers into the feathers near the primary joins, then gripped them.
A pulse went from his wings to his cock and back up again, ricocheting and gaining force with every squeeze. He sucked against her nipple, scraping it with his teeth until she began to cry out. He braced one of her hips, halting it from writhing upward, and she growled again.
It was such a delightful sound, like a kitten about to unsheathe its claws, especially when she mewled at the end as he lapped against the nipple, tracing it with his tongue. Aware of his next step, he stretched his wings upward, shaping them like a cover to shield her as he traced a path with his tongue to her navel. She followed the line of them with her fingers, and his cock ached to just sink into her, but he wanted to taste.
Dahlia had been desperate to ride a cock earlier, and he would give her that pleasure and much more. With care, he pushed her thighs apart as he reached the dark triangle of curls hiding her from his view.
Pressing a kiss to the inside of each thigh, he stole a glance up to find her staring at him as she stretched to maintain the contact with his wings. The elegant arch of her body did fabulous things for her breasts, and he couldn’t look away as he parted her labia with two fingers and licked her from entrance to clit.
With a shudder, she threw her head back and tried to thrust her hips upward, but he held her in place. Circling her clit with teasing, lazy licks, he marveled at how it swelled and pushed up against its hood. Her soft pants grew ragged, and each time she neared bursting, he traced away. She loosened her hold on his wings and began to grip at the comforter, but he wouldn’t be swayed.
Again and again, he pushed her right up to the edge, and the absolute scream of frustration she released delighted him on a level so primitive, his beast surged all the way to the surface. The light flaring off his skin reflected in her eyes. Instead of squinting, she glared down at him.
“I swear, Seth, if you don’t fuck me right now, I’ll cry out for your brothers.”
No, Judgment didn’t like that at all. He moved upward in one motion and hovered over her. One hand braced on either side of her head, he said, “No, you will not.”
Eyebrows raised, she wrapped a hand around his cock, and it was his turn to groan. “You going to stop me?”
“No,” he said, covering her hand with his and moving him to her entrance. “No more cockblocking for you.”
Then he thrust inside. He’d meant to take his time, but he wanted. The beast wanted. Dahlia wanted. They all took. Her breathless laughter turned to a scream of delight, and he swallowed it with his mouth as he kissed her. Then it was all sensation as he thrust, her soft body stretching for him.
She was so wet, he seated himself fully with the first thrust. He paused, letting her catch her breath as her fingers dug into his shoulders and her heels into the back of his thighs. She was everywhere, he felt her everywhere, and he gloried in it.
“If you don’t start moving…” she warned as he pulled out almost to the hilt and slammed back in. The pleasure was too much, forcing his wings to stretch out behind him. That dangerous energy he’d already had to purge once that day started its quick ascent all over again. Drained as he was, he shouldn’t have been able to generate this much this fast.
Dahlia’s sweet, alabaster skin began to glow from the soft light of his aura. Every color of the sunset played softly over her skin as he began to power into her. He cradled the top of her head to keep her from sliding away from him.
“Fuck!” A zap of electricity rolled down his spine. He grabbed her hands and slammed them in the mattress by her head. This was what he needed. What his beast needed. Just Dahlia.
She opened her eyes, and instantly, he was snared in her dark gaze. “I need it harder.”
He could do that. Catching both wrists in one hand, he moved his other hand down to the underside of her thigh, pulling it up and out to the side, opening her up to him. With each time he bottomed out, Dahlia whimpered, her muscles fluttering around him. She was so close, the slightest pressure on her clit would detonate her pleasure.
Adding to his excitement, his aura started to twine around her, little sparks of white snapping here and there periodically. To see her wrapped in his colors, pleasured, protected, his instincts took over. She was his. Dahlia, for whatever short time he had with her, was his.
He couldn’t hold back his own guttural groans the closer he got to his own climax. Reaching a hand down between them, he pinched her clit, then rubbed small circles around the sensitive bundle of nerves.
“Seth!” she screamed, then sobbed as she bit into his shoulder. He followed after her with one, two, three pumps before the energy that had been building exploded outward. Only this time, there had been a
release.
And it had all been directed at Dahlia.
His heartbeat raced inside the cage of his chest as he came back down from the energy high. This was nothing like he had ever experienced before. It not only drained him, but took every bit of incandescent light with it. The room seemed almost dim in its absence.
“Dahlia.” Using every bit of strength he had left, he pushed himself up to give her room to breathe.
A few pieces of dark chocolate, almost midnight hair clung to her face. Gently, he pulled them away and smoothed the rest of her hair away. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was deep and even.
“Dahlia, my sweet?” She didn’t answer, simply turned her face into his hand, nuzzling gently.
The aura that had surrounded her was completely gone too, and then a sudden thought occurred to Seth.
“Oh no.” He sat up, careful not to jostle her as he stared down at her slumbering form. She was fine. She was breathing, her skin was flushed from their love making, but otherwise normal.
“Dahlia, wake up.” At this point, he just needed to make sure that she was fine. He’d had sex with humans before, but never had the energy been so present. It was almost like he tapped into his grace, but he hadn’t. Not purposefully anyway.
Tapping her cheek lightly, he waited for some sign that everything was just as it should be. What had happened the last time he’d had sex with a human?
That had been so long ago, he didn’t remember. Or he hadn’t cared enough to remember. They had such fleeting lives, he never got attached. But he was sure the energy had never been so strong.
He slid off the bed, repositioning her against the pillows at the top before tucking the covers around her. From day one, he’d had her in his bed. That should have been another heaping sign that she meant something to him. It was just too painful to admit when she had such a short time left.
Crouching beside the bed, he laid his chin on his forearms and watched her sleep. Her soul was so pure, vibrant where so many others were weak and tainted. And her fire that she’d just come into was so alluring.
No, he couldn’t take the chance that he had done something to hurt her. But the very people he knew would have the answers were the last people he wanted to see. They thought they had a claim on Dahlia, and they did not.
An irritated growl came from his chest, and he shook his head. If there was a way to make sure she hadn’t suffered any side effects from his power, he would take it, regardless of his own feelings.
Snatching a clean pair of sweatpants from his dresser drawer, he jerked them up his legs. Taking one last lingering look at Dahlia, he stomped toward his living room and the panel on the wall.
Never would he believe he was about to purposely reach out to his traitor brothers.
The painting swung out silently to reveal the pane he’d installed so many thousands of years ago. It wasn’t the kind of technology humans used today. No, it was something different, running on a connection to his grace. He placed his palm on the white square and closed his eyes. Immediately, images floated through his mind, options within the system. He stopped on images of Tarus and Zhan and mentally updated their status as allowed, then he stepped back from the panel, taking his time shutting the door.
This was going to singe his feathers like nothing ever had.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, searching for the two threads that were unique to his brothers. He found them easily enough. The fuckers hadn’t left Domum.
They must have thought they’d somehow find a chance to see Dahlia again.
He just didn’t think he would be the one to provide it.
13
‘Against one's better judgment’ is meant for when you dive into a bad idea. That didn’t apply here when Judgment willingly called his brothers back in for my sake. You know what that said? It said he liked me. Finally! Finally, I was getting a good dicking. - Dahlia
Tarus
“Tarus, I get it. I wanted to punch him too, but that’s not going to make him let us in to see Dahlia.” Zhan’s level of exasperation was high. All he’d done for the last ten minutes was pace and lecture Tarus.
Standing in one of the empty caverns at the bottom of Domum, Tarus was about ready to say fuck it and break into his security system again. He walked to the reddish-brown sand wall and propped a forearm against it.
He knew better than anyone that Seth was capable of fucking with them. But to use his grace? Go against everything he clung to so tightly?
That didn’t jive. But that wasn’t even what had him so worked up right then.
No matter how Dahlia came into their lives, she was theirs now. He would not give her up. Especially to his stuffed up brother.
“And what would you have done, Zhan?”
He laughed bitterly. “I would have taken her where he couldn’t find us. Masked my presence.”
That did pull an amused chuckle from Tarus. “Have you always had these tendencies? How did I not ever see that you were a kidnapper?”
Dust flew as Zhan fell into the wall next to him. When Tarus met his gaze, the corners of his mouth kicked up into an ornery smirk. “Actually, I think the term is Dahlia-napper. And you wouldn’t have seen it because I never had the urge to steal someone before. Dahlia brings it out in me.”
Tarus huffed in reluctant humor. “Okay. Fine. So I solve problems with my fists, and you solve problems by stealing the problem.”
“Hey.” Zhan glared. “Dahlia is not the problem. We are. And Seth.”
Too true, brother.
But Tarus would never admit it aloud, and he damn sure wouldn’t think it. That was counterproductive to his goal. Which was to see Dahlia. If what Bish had said was true, they had precious little time with her. He’d war with Seth before he let him keep her. So what if she said she wanted to stay with Seth? He probably hadn’t given her all the facts.
Once she knew everything, if she didn’t want to see them, he would bow out. Maybe. But he needed to know she didn’t think the worst of him.
“I know she isn’t the problem. And I agree with you that it’s Seth.” He conveniently left out both his brother and himself. “This is all Karmen’s fault,” he gritted out.
That day when she had kissed his jaw, he knew something in his life was about to get turned upside down. He just hadn’t realized it would be Dahlia’s brief entrance in his life, then even quicker exit. Now that he thought on it, this kind of twisted behavior had her name written all over it.
“What?” Zhan must not have heard him completely, because he had an equal distaste for her. She really only acted for her own amusement. Tarus had never been able to figure out how her grace helped keep the balance. If anything, she unbalanced it, and often.
“Nothing.”
A few Keepers flew overhead, blotting out the sun in the otherwise clear blue sky. He had always hated this place. It was too perfect, and the Keepers too stuffy. Falling with Zhan had been the best decision he had ever made.
Until he made the decision not to help Dahlia. Guilt burned through his chest, an uncomfortable feeling he had cut off long ago. He rubbed at the spot over his heart and stepped away from the wall.
“I say we go back up and demand Seth talk to us. He fought today, had an energy purge, then used up a considerable bit of power to kick us out. He won’t be able to hold his own.” Tarus was sure of it.
For a second, Zhan said nothing, watching the few colorful bursts soar overhead.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said as he turned toward Tarus.
The briefest niggling tugged at the back of his mind. It took a moment for Tarus to recognize what was happening. How long had it been since he’d been summoned in such a way? Zhan had no need to because they were usually together.
“Do you feel that, brother?” He didn’t miss Zhan’s look of bewilderment.
He grinned. “I do. It’s highly possible it’s some kind of trap. But I don’t care. Dahlia’s there.” Indigo blin
ded Tarus for a brief second, then he was alone.
Not one to be left behind, he followed on the heels of his brother. Right into the living room of Seth’s house. He readied his body for any signs of a possible attack, but there wasn’t one.
Seth stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed, watching both men like they were sewer rats come to infest his home.
“Where’s Beauty?” Tarus’ voice was much more gruff than he’d anticipated, but he was anxious to see her. To set things right.
“Beauty?” The grimace that twisted up Seth’s face was almost comical, but neither Zhan nor Tarus laughed.
“Dahlia,” Zhan explained, like Seth didn’t know who Tarus was talking about, not hiding the fact that he was searching the room for any sign of her.
“About that…” The fact that he wore only a pair of sweats and nothing else seemed to not have dawned on their always put together brother. The muscles in his arms flexed, and Tarus swore he could hear the grinding of his teeth. “I need to ask a question.”
“About Dahlia?” Narrowing his eyes, he studied his brother, then took two steps forward and swept the whole of the room. Dahlia was not there, but this wasn’t the only room in the place. “Did you lose her already?”
“No,” Seth ground out.
Zhan fidgeted, then paced a slow circuit of the edge of the room. “Well we’re here,” he said, like he had not a care in the world. Liar. He did it so well, Tarus was almost impressed. “What do you need to ask?”
“You have had many human women?”
Jerking his head around, Tarus gaped at Seth. He wasn’t alone. Zhan stopped dead, lips parted and mouth agape.
“Sure,” Tarus answered slowly. “Depending on how you define many. We’ve all had human women.” Seth had—well, once upon a time, he had. Tarus had no idea where he dipped his wick these days and he didn’t want to…
