by Stacy Reid
The Darkage—the kingdom of darkness and shadows
Kerberos—Castle of the deep—main stronghold of the king
The unrelenting darkness was overpowering to those Lachlan rescued. Their fear fed him, even as he moved with unparallel speed through the mountains of Mevia toward the wastelands separating the borders of the seven kingdoms. He used his shadows to create a great winged creature which the rescued people rode on. His mate clung to him, her face hidden against his throat, her heart pounding against her breastbone. A journey that would take other Amagarians days, Lachlan covered in several minutes as he headed to the Castle of the deep, the main stronghold of King Gidon. He spun with the shadows to the western keep, aware they would feel the brutal wash of his might as he drew close. He moved through closed doors as the shadows bent around them and deposited the Darkans to the healing chamber. Then with another blast of power and speed, he dropped the witch, the Queen’s blades and his mate’s sister in a room where his king paced. Lachlan did not wait, the need to care and protect his mate paramount. He took her with the shadows to the body of water underneath the mountains of the castle.
Lachlan’s mate’s body felt warm and soft and so giving against his. He lowered her into the heated pools deep underground his king’s castle, basking in her sigh of pleasure. The caves were quite large and wide, with several caverns, and he took her to the deepest underground one where veins of silver and gold carpeted the floor of the pool creating a shimmering effect on the surface of the water. There were several other pockets of small water pools scattered about with layers of rocks around them. Large crystalline formations jutted from the walls and from the high ceilings and rose from the floor.
Her eyes darted around. “Where is my sister?”
“Your sister and the others are being taken care of. They are in the dining area with my king and company. Princess Saieke should now be reuniting with her Queen’s blades, and your sister and the witch will be offered all hospitality.”
“And your people?”
“I delivered them to the healer in King’s palace.”
He felt her unease rise then dissipate. He suddenly felt relief and humor over their lei, and the tension stole from her body. “You speak with your sister?”
“Yes. I never thought of Darkans as hospitable. It is a refreshing notion,” she said as her gaze roamed around before settling on the walls of the caves which had several fierce depictions of man and beasts struggling for dominion. A massive sculpture of a three-headed monster was mounted above the steps. Below it, a mass of writhing snakes, their mouths open with swords jutting out from an eight-headed serpent, a black ridged back dragon spewing black flames, and a massive chimera—a fierce creature with the head and body of a Lyon, the wings of dragon and the tail of a serpent.
“What is it?”
“The Cerberus is the sigil of our king, and the other beasts are those of his enforcers. The Leviathan with its army of snake represent my house, this fierce winged creature is a Dracan and represent my friend and fellow enforcer Drac El Kyn’s house, and the chimera, represent another friend and enforcer Talon Merinus’s house.”
“It’s macabre but compellingly beautiful.” Those shockingly beautiful eyes leveled on him. “You made a promise, Lachlan Ravenswood, of fulfilling whatever desire beats in my heart. I want warriors to return with me to my kingdom. They will return as soon as I’ve established order.”
“It shall be done.”
“I would not expect such aid to my realm without recompense. I will offer a fair trade for the warriors you’ll gift me.”
“I shall expect none. You are mine to protect.”
He heard the stutter of her heart and scented the uncertainty that flavored the air.
The rigid tension which had held her while he flowed with the shadows to his kingdom now completely melted away. Her stomach gave an alarming rumble, and he stepped into the shadows moving with speed to the main kitchen of the castle and reappeared within a second with a plate of fruits and roasted meat.
“You can eat first mate or clean your body.”
His princess glanced at the platter of food, then peered up at him. “I would prefer to remove the dirt and blood from my body.”
She paused staring at him as if waiting for something he obviously should be aware of.
“What is it, mate?”
“Do you not intend to turn away?”
“I am already familiar with every curve of your body, mate, there is no need to be shy.” Still sensing her hesitation, he projected the images of her naked before him in the emperor’s room and how she appeared to him as he’d kissed and pleased her with his fingers.
A blush washed over her body, and she sank lower into the depth of the water and pulled the tattered sari from her body and threw it onto the stone floor. Then she sank deep, swimming like a water nymph to the bottom before resurfacing. A few minutes passed in silence as she lathered her face with a rose scented fragrance, before dipping deep into the heated pool once again. This time when she surfaced, she met his gaze.
“I get the sense that when you refer to me as your mate, you do not mean for a night of…bedding.” Her voice was low, trembling, and his heart turned over in his chest.
Hunger clawed at him, creating an urgent, intense wave of lust. “I do not.”
Carefully avoiding his eyes, she reached for the scented oil on the rocks and lathered her skin and hair. Her skin looked rose-petal soft and inviting. “Where are we? At your home?”
He lowered himself to his haunches, watching her. She studiously avoided his gaze and the frantic pulse at the base of her throat tripped even faster. Yet he felt no fear and satisfaction rushed through his veins. At last, she was beginning to understand what she meant to him. “We are at Castle Kerberos. Home of Gidon Al Shra, King, and Ricarkri of the Darkage.”
“I see.”
As an Archduke for the realm, and friend to his king, Lachlan had a standing invitation to castle Kerberos along with his own personal chambers. He could only imagine the uproar he had left behind, but his first duty was the care of his woman.
“Do you live here?”
“No.”
Her lips smiled briefly, and it was the most beautiful thing he’d seen in a long time. It made him feel warm.
She huffed out a small irritated breath. “Are you always this succinct?”
“No.”
She waited, and he just watched.
“Then where do you live?”
“I am an Archduke of the Darkage.”
“What does that mean?”
He really liked her curiosity about him and his way of life. The pleasure that rippled inside his chest was unfamiliar but welcoming. “Our kingdom is divided into four provinces, and at each helm is an Archduke. I govern the east, Drac El Kyn sits on the seat of the North, and Talon Merinus at the south and Gidon Al Shar sits on the throne of the West, but he is also king of all. In my province, there are three million citizens. I must govern them by the laws of the Darkage and train the warriors of the east to be ready when they are called to arms to defend our kingdom.”
“In my world, your title would be that of a prince. When I first crossed through my portal to Amagarie, I thought to approach King Gidon for the aid I seek. The rumors and history of the dark ones were offputting, they spoke of a kingdom that was awash in constant bloodletting and war. So, I went to the Mevian emperor. How odd that the first moment I feel a sense of safety since I left my world is at this place?”
“And what aid did you seek?”
She considered him for several seconds. “I wanted an army.”
Something dark stirred inside him. “Why?”
There was a slight hesitation, then she said, “My brother, his wife, and children were slain.”
Profound pain darted through her, and the taste of it was repulsive to him.
“We…my advisors, and I did not know who committed the foul deed. An investigation was launched, but we fo
und no one. The ebb and flow of life continued, and a few months later, on the day of my coronation…” Her throat worked, and she visibly composed herself. “On that day, as the High Priestess of Dxyriah was about to place the crown of my head, my home was attacked. I barely escaped with my life. And the man who’d attacked my home and assassinated my family now sits on my throne.”
“And you want vengeance?”
“I want justice.”
“False morality serves as the only distinction between the two.”
His princess glanced sideways at him and then quickly averted her eyes, her long lashes hiding her expression.
“Tell me more, my mate.”
A flush worked its way up her neck and to her face. “I would like to discuss something else.”
“I will indulge it.”
Something fiery sparkled in her diamond eyes before amusement curved her lips. “You are arrogant Lachlan Ravenswood.”
His princess shifted, gliding the oils over her face, throat, and down her body below the water. “Why am I your mate?” Her face was averted, the curtain of silver-white hair concealing her expression from him.
A pulse of anxiety came from her but no fear.
“Fate has decreed it so.”
Her firm, elegant jaw tightened visibly. “But what does it mean?”
“By the laws of the Darkage, you are forever mine, by the primal call of the beast I am eternally enslaved, and if I should will it, so are you.”
He felt it then, the slow spiral of terror before she subdued the emotion. She made no response, and he was content to watch her as she dipped into the well of the water washing away the battle of the day. Several minutes passed in silence, and he watched and waited.
She faced him then, her skin flushed pink, her wet hair clinging to her body with heart jerking loveliness. Water droplets beaded on her shoulders. A small rivulet coursed across her collarbone.
“How are you so certain I am your mate? Could…could there be another?”
How hopeful she sounded that such a possibility existed.
“There is a fire in my soul to have you by my side always. I want to know what makes you happy and provide it to you. I am a captive to the sensation and needs you rouse in me. My darkness is pleased by your light and your scent. With every beat of your heart, I want to sink my fangs in you and consume your essence and make it a part of me. Your scent is that of peace, of solace, of promise and belonging to something other than darkness. Only a mate has such a power over one such as me, and there can only be one.”
She looked dazed, staring back at him, the scent of her pussy, heated and female, drew him, making his mouth water for her taste. His princess waded from the water and made her way up the stone steps and made her way over to him. He loved the way she moved, the sway of her hips, her purposeful yet sensual strides. She was so beautiful she took his breath away. Her high rounded breasts, gently dipping stomach, and flaring hips formed the most breath-taking body he’d ever seen. She drew a deep, shuddering breath as she halted before him. “You are a Fierce and formidable warrior. Despite your savagery and even though I do not understand you…” She touched the tattoo on his chest, tracing the outline of a massive claw.
He closed his eyes and savored the exquisite feel of her touch.
She stared at him with a mixture of longing and apprehension. “I want you too, Lachlan Ravenswood. But I will belong to no man.”
Her soft sensual notes slid inside of him, teasing and tempting him to devour her. He pushed the long fall of silken hair from her face and back over her shoulder, not wanting any of her body hidden from him. “Your eyes appear as if the stars are forever in their depths.”
“You are trying to seduce me,” she murmured huskily.
He touched her hair, rubbing the wet silky strands between his fingers. “I only spoke the truth.”
“If I were to give in to the temptation beating in my blood I can sense I would lose myself to you. I do not have the power of foresight like my sister, Kala. But I sense it with every fiber of my being Lachlan Ravenswood. I cannot afford such an attachment, and I will be no man’s slave. Not even for this hunger burning in my soul for you,” she whispered. “I cannot stay in the Darkage. I must return to my world. I cannot fail my people.”
Her eyes were pools of denial and pain and pleading for understanding. And that anguish hit him like a mighty blow.
“By the laws of your realm, must I accept your claim?”
Fury swept through him. Ugly. Dangerous. Ashes and darkness swirled at the edge of his thoughts. She sensed it, but she did not flinch from him, meeting his regard steadily. The idea of letting her go lanced pain somewhere in his tattered soul. He had never thought he would feel that for a woman. At the sight of her looking small and fragile and apprehensive, every protective instinct he had stirred. A fierce need to protect her welled up in him, even from the darkness prowling in him to dominate her, to bend her to his will. It was so strong it shook him. He dragged her close, pulled her into the shelter of his body, needing to be close to her.
He kissed her because he had to. Framing her face with his hands, he took possession of her mouth. He was without mercy as he slanted his lips over hers. A broken cry of need escaped her as she responded with wantonness. He savored the taste of her—hot, exotic, the promise of wet, fiery passion. His thoughts spilled to her through their link, of him splitting her wide, and her riding his tongue, soaking her pussy with anticipation before he claimed her. He wanted everything about her imprinted on his soul, so he would forever remember the taste and feel of her. His mind was merged deeply in hers, feeding off her pleasure, heightening it as she intensified his.
The scent of her arousal began to intoxicate him, to fill his senses with tormented desires that could not be slaked now. She pulled her lips from his and pressed her forehead against his chest. “You must stop kissing me.”
He could easily smell her scent calling to him with her readiness. The smell of her arousal was like a dagger to his gut. So why the resistance? “Why?”
“I do not need to give a reason,” she murmured and pushing away from him. I cannot think when you touch me.
He caught the edges of her thoughts before she pulled from their connection.
“I can smell your arousal. I can hear your heart beating for me.”
She faltered into absolute stillness, her eyes widened. “You can smell me?” she croaked, her entire body flushing a becoming pink.
“Yes.”
“You smell like fire and sweetness, and my mouth waters for a taste of you.”
He pushed the image at her, of him before her on his knees, her pussy on his tongue as he lapped at her wet folds. His mate blushed even more. Before she could reply, he took her into the shadows and into his chambers on the fifth floor of the castle. They spilled into the room, and she glanced around dazedly.
“Your speed rivals those who have the skill of teleportation on my world. You are very impressive Lachlan Ravenswood. And this is a beautiful chamber.”
She moved away from him, striving to appear unconcerned but he could see the fine trembling along her elegant spine. Nervousness flowed through their connection, and he sensed she was desperately fighting to deny the arousal thrumming through her body. She craved him, even if she did not understand why, and the awareness filled him with heady satisfaction. The scent of her wetness and spice had his cock hardening on a pleasurable pulse.
“I must meet with my king. I have delayed enough. When I took the witch in the shadows, I also collected the bags you had packed. They are on the bed.”
She spun around to face him. “I thought…” Her eyes glowed with something dark and mysterious.
He could barely breathe with wanting, but how he wanted to take his mate could not be done in a few minutes or an hour. The night would be theirs when he claimed her. He moved with speed behind her and allowed his hands to settle at her hips, his fingers curling over her fragile bones lightly. “I wil
l return soon.”
Her lips parted, but he stepped into the shadow space and roiled with the darkness to enter the council room where he sensed Gidon, Drac, and Talon—the men Lachlan respected and considered his closest friends. He stepped from the shadows, and his king lifted his attention from the scrolls he’d been analyzing.
“You have joined us at last, Lachlan,” Gidon said striding toward him. “It was not like you to drop visitors at our feet and disappear before we got the chance to—”
His king faltered, violence settling on his face like a second skin, the tattoos of his three-headed demon beast—the Cerberus—shifting on his forearms and under his raven black undershirt.
Without his mate’s presence, without touching her mind, darkness blossomed through Lachlan as the anchor to his sanity melted away.
“You have bonded,” Talon said, rising from the chair he’d been seated in with untamed grace. He moved closer, his piercing green eyes watchful and wary. “How did this happen, my friend? I know of your vows made in fire and ice that you would not allow your beast in your life.”
Drac lowered his goblet carefully, and stood, canting his head to the side. “What happened?” He asked, his tone devoid of all emotions.
Lachlan could sense the stirring monster in his friend, but Lachlan did not shift his gaze away from his King. The immense pleasure of Lachlan’s darkness sang through his veins, and he relished in it, the bloodletter in Lachlan surging to life on a violent wave.
Gidon stepped forward, the tattoo on his skin rippling to life, menace covering him like a second skin. They stood only a foot apart, and darkness slid against darkness. Lachlan slammed his closed fist across his chest in salute. But it was the demon beast within his king whom he saluted, for its well of power was unfathomable and crackling in the air with a blatant challenge.
“What are you?” Gidon asked, the question pulling Drac and Talon to his side, a wall of protective power.
Lachlan looked down at his body with a brief, humorless smile. Their flat, lethal gazes slid over him, noting the changes in his body, the claws of his hands, the tattoo of his monster, and the changes to his eyes.
