Like a familiar lover, he spread her ass from behind and eased himself into her. With each inch, her body squeezed him in protest, but he took his time, teasing her nipple with his free hand each time she stiffened.
Mark didn’t move inside her, but he pressed like kisses along her neck and shoulder, murmuring words of love that she didn’t quite understand, yet felt.
When both men were inside her, she sat between them, breathing hard, shocked by the strange sensation. She’d never felt so full. So surrounded. It was—
And then they moved.
“Damn it!” Her nails dug into Mark’s shoulder, and she felt her eyes widen in shock.
Every nerve was alive, screaming in pleasure. She couldn’t catch her breath. She couldn’t draw in a single thought. They continued to move, sliding in and out with slow, careful movements.
She didn’t know what to do, her back bent. She moaned, thrashing her head. How was it possible to feel like this? To feel so good that she wanted to crawl out of her skin, or perhaps stay in it forever, she wasn’t sure which.
Her core grew hotter, tightening like a cord. The men started to move faster. She sensed their control slipping as they didn’t just slide back into her, they pounded into her.
To her shock, she began to move against them, rocking in tune to their thrusts. The men groaned in pleasure, and she rode them harder, loving the sounds of their arousal. Loving the feeling of being filled by them.
When she felt a spark burst into light within her, she reached for it, moving faster and faster. Her orgasm struck her like something wild and dangerous, she tossed her head back screaming, grasping her breasts and pinching her nipples as they held her, claiming every inch of her.
The world swam away. Time ceased to exist. Everything inside her was alight with something she’d never imagined before.
And then, the two demons exploded into her, their groans of pleasure hoarse. Their bodies shuddering around her.
When their thrusting finally slowed, she collapsed between them. They kissed her neck, slowly, almost drunkenly. And their grip around her tightened.
“That was... incredible,” she whispered lamely.
She felt Daniel smile against her neck. “That was nothing. We’ve only just begun.”
Her head swam as Mark pulled out of her, but Daniel stayed buried inside of her, grasping her thighs to keep her from falling. He carried her across the room and laid her directly onto Tristan.
Her eyes widened as he spread her legs, and his cock eased into her wet channel.
“Already?” she whispered in disbelief.
As if in answer, he began to thrust inside of her. Daniel grunted, and his cock swelled in her ass. And again, two powerful demons were riding her.
For one minute it was too much, she’d just orgasmed. Her nerves were still screaming in pleasure! And then, to her shock, a moan slipped from her lips. She felt it again. The tingles running through her body. The goose bumps erupted on her flesh.
“Fuck me,” she groaned.
Tristan nipped her ear. “With pleasure, my angel.”
When her orgasm hit again, she sobbed. It felt too damned good. Like something she’d always wanted. Like everything inside of her had wanted nothing but these demons all her life.
Her head felt light. Her muscles tensed, and the demons exploded inside of her once more.
They rode her like wild men for several long seconds before Daniel collapsed on top of her from behind.
They lay like that breathing for a long time before Mark joined them on the bed, lying on his side. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He was already asleep.
Daniel pulled out of her from behind and lay on her other side. He mumbled something she was sure she didn’t want to hear, then fell asleep too.
When Daniel gently stroked her ass, her eyes began to close.
“Next time, I’m going to slap this delicious ass.”
A smile touched her lips. I hope so.
Chapter Twenty-One
Mark slipped out of the bed they shared and looked back at Daniel, Tristan, and Surcy. His heart raced. This is it. The God Finder hung heavy around his neck, pulsing with power. It had a vision for him. And the power it swelled with this time was overwhelming. He’d have to funnel a lot of his life-force into it to unlock the image and hold onto it.
Perhaps more than I have left.
Like a parasite it took from him. It didn’t take just his druid magic or just his demon strength. It took everything within him, everything that made his body work.
I’m not going to survive much longer.
The thought made his throat close. His fate was sealed. He knew that from the moment he began his search for the Immortals, but it was always his destiny.
Surcy, Daniel, and Tristan were my reward. My great loves.
The Fate’s words echoed through his mind, even after all this time. There had been times when he was a boy, alone and afraid in the world that he’d felt the Fate had made a mistake. That she’d chosen the wrong person.
And when he died, he’d thought that was the end, that he had failed the realms.
But now, he knew. Everything had happened just the way it was supposed to.
Soon he would die again, but he’d have fulfilled his destiny this time.
Looking at Surcy, Daniel, and Tristan again, he memorized their faces and then, slipped from the room and walked on bare feet into the living room. An instinct that crawled along his spine made him grab a pad of paper and pen off the countertop. Gathering a blanket around his naked body, he tucked it around his waist and lay down on the soft rug before the quiet fireplace, the paper and pen beside him.
His entire body trembled, but he refused to acknowledge how frightened he was. How much he worried that tonight would be his last night on earth. Because no matter what the vision takes from me, I shouldn’t die right away. I still have too much left to do.
The thought comforted him enough to calm his racing heart. To make him reach up. Closing his eyes, he placed one hand around The God Finder.
What do you have to show me now?
Immediately, he felt the power of the newest vision in a way he never had before. It drained the life-force from him like a dying vampire, drinking and drinking until his eyes rolled back in his head.
The images came faster than ever before, and for once, began to pull into a vision more quickly than he ever imagined. Angels surrounded three people. No, not people, the Immortals. The angels flashed their swords, and the people fell to their knees.
“Caine has given up trying to take your powers,” Frink said, his voice harsh.
“Powers?” a woman said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Frink’s gaze narrowed. With a flick of his wrist, her head fell from her body. “Now, we’re done with games. Your souls will be eternally destroyed, and no one will stop Caine.”
The people began to wail as the angels closed in, and the sounds of their screaming rang in his ears.
Eyes flashing open, his heart hammered in his chest. The Immortals weren’t dead yet. It was a vision of what would soon pass.
They had to rescue them. Now.
Or else I don’t think we’ll be able to save them. We’ll fail.
He knew where they would be kept once they were caught. The vision was clear. Zedussa. The angel realm. The place Caine ruled from. A formidable structure meant to protect the Immortal Ten. And one he doubted they could reach.
So we need to find them before my vision can come to pass.
He had no idea how they would save them in time. But they didn’t have a choice.
The Fate had been clear. Without all ten of the Immortals, they’d fail.
And if the last of the unfound Immortals are taken to Zedussa before we can save them, our time is up. We’ll have to wage the war here and now if we have any hope of saving them before Caine can destroy their souls.
Which means we’ll also have to take the Immortals
out of hiding, and have them fight at our sides, whether they’re ready or not. Because without them, we can’t take on the entire angel army and Caine himself.
If they lost, there would never be another chance again.
Rolling to his side, too weak to rise, he grasped the pen and began to scribble on the paper. Once he was done, he flopped back on his back. Everything inside him felt wrong. Tired. As if even his heart was beating more slowly.
As blood ran down Mark’s nose, and his vision wavered, he wrapped his hand more tightly around The God Finder.
Show me where they are now.
The power that flowed through him was excruciating, and, he swore, he heard the Fate whisper, I’m sorry, as he choked on a scream.
Chapter Twenty-Two
When Surcy rose, stretching happily in bed, she glanced to her sides to find Tristan and Daniel sleeping peacefully. She smiled. This was true happiness.
And yet, where was Mark?
Frowning, she slipped out between them and padded out the door. Checking Mark’s room, her unease increased. Hurrying down the hall, she stepped out into the main room, and her gaze instantly went to Mark.
He was lying on the floor. A paper lying beside him.
Blood dotted the white material and the rug.
She moved slowly, as if caught by quicksand, and knelt at his side. Touching his chest, she realized it neither rose nor fell.
Heart hammering, she reached for his pulse. There was nothing.
“Mark?” she whispered.
He didn’t react.
“Mark!” she shook his shoulders, reality setting in like a punch to the gut. “Mark! Mark! Wake up! Wake up!”
Tristan and Daniel came racing into the room, then were at her side. They all touched Mark. Daniel started CPR. And Tristan pulled her back as she struggled against him.
She watched in horror as they tried to save her love. Her demon. The man who always made her laugh. My Mark.
And she held her breath waiting. He had to live. He had to! This couldn’t be it!
After an impossibly long time, Daniel stopped doing CPR. He sat back on his heels, staring at the druid, his eyes filled with unshed tears. Everyone looked down at the pale druid speckled in blood. It was as if the air was sucked from the room.
He was dead
Her Mark.
Dead.
Her gaze went to the papers. Maybe... maybe he had left some kind of clue. Some way for them to bring him back!
She grasped the paper and wiped at her tears, staring down as the words came together.
Caine is rounding up the final three Immortals. He intends to execute them and destroy their souls. I’ve written down their current locations. You have to go to them, now. Even knowing that you can’t save them all before Caine reaches them.
But you have to try.
And when you’ve done all you can, you need to bring all the Immortals to Zedussa. You need to wage the war there, before he can kill the Immortals.
And this is the most important part... you can’t slow down to mourn me. I knew what I was doing. This was how it was always meant to be. If you waste a single second, my death may be for nothing.
She lowered the paper, pressing her knuckles to her mouth as she sobbed.
Daniel plucked the message from her, and read it with Tristan at his side.
She knew the moment they were done. Daniel crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it, standing. His anger like lightning.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! You insane, little druid! You didn’t have to die! You didn’t have to do any of this!”
“Daniel—“ Tristan began, his words overwhelmed with sorrow.
“No!” Daniel turned and started to walk away, then stopped. “This is utter bullshit, and I won’t hear it. We’re not going to go after the stupid Immortals. We’re going to march back into the demon realm and pull him out screaming!”
“And then what? Lose Surcy next?”
Daniel froze.
“If we do not stop Caine, all of this will be for nothing, as Mark said.”
Daniel clenched his fists. “We can’t just leave him dead.”
Tristan rose like a stature, powerful and strong. “If we don’t act quickly enough, Caine may decide to destroy his soul.”
Everything inside of Surcy tensed. That’s right, Caine would see his soul in death. Caine would decide what happened to him.
“We need to go,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes.
Daniel seemed unable to function, to even move.
But Tristan went to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We’re going to dress. We’re going to get our weapons, and then, we’re going to get our revenge.”
Surcy nodded. Revenge. That’s exactly what they needed. And the best kind of revenge? They’d knock that fucking Caine right off his stolen throne.
And then, we’re coming for you, you reckless druid. And once you’re safely with us again, I’m going to kick your ass.
But even as the thought gave her strength, her gaze went to Mark’s body.
We’re coming for you, my love.
The End of Book Two.
Rebel Loss
Mates of the Realms: Immortals
Book Three
Chapter One
Tristan would never consider himself a liar, but he’d lied to Surcy and Daniel. He’d told them that they could focus on saving the Immortals and have a chance to rescue Mark in time. Which is impossible.
The instant Caine saw Mark’s soul, he would destroy it. There was no question. The druid, who was like a brother to Tristan, would be gone forever. The knowledge clawed within him, screaming in protest.
Gargoyles protected the people they loved. They died before they allowed their loved ones to hurt in any way. The fact that Mark was dead meant he failed.
He failed.
A scream built in his throat, a roar of protest and denial. Mark was kind and good. A man who was still ruled by the lost boy who’d been thrown out by his people at such a fragile age. He had seen the worst in the world and still had a heart of gold. Mark was something precious, and Tristan had been sleeping when he died.
Sleeping. It seemed impossible. How could he have slept?
If Tristan didn’t do something, he was going to snap. He was going to lose his mind. All his logic was slipping away, replaced by a heart-wrenching emotion he couldn’t escape.
As Daniel and Surcy dressed and equipped themselves with weapons to rescue the first Immortal, Tristan slipped out of their home, his heart racing. He needed to find a place to let loose, to let the scream building inside of him explode. He needed to level everything around him to the ground.
Because Mark is dead.
Because I failed him.
Soaring over the gardens and above the quiet city, Tristan felt something cold on his cheek. Reaching up and touching the hard stone of his gargoyle skin, he saw liquid on his fingertip.
Stopping on the edge of a building, he stared at it in confusion.
He didn’t understand. He was a gargoyle. Gargoyles couldn’t cry. Can we?
He was made of stone, and stone didn’t weep. And yet, the tear rested on his fingertip as if to remind him of the one flaw of his kind. Despite being made of stone, they had very real hearts.
If only there was something I could do. Anything...
He stiffened, his mind snapping to something he’d nearly forgotten. Perhaps there is something I can do.
Dropping his hand, he looked out at the sleepy city. He had planned to fly until the ache in his chest eased, just for a few minutes before he returned and showed nothing but strength to the two people who needed him to protect and guide them.
But maybe he could do more than that.
The price would be steep. But he would pay it. I would pay any price for Mark.
Taking to the air once more, knowing that time was of the essence, he shot across the city and flew with all the power in his wings. When he reached the woods, he kept going u
ntil he saw the place he must go. Lowering, he dropped just outside the cave.
Hesitating only a moment, he regarded a place he’d only heard spoken about in whispers, a place of death, sadness, and anger, a place anyone with any sense would avoid.
Striding forward, he ignored his racing heart. If it was the only way, then there was no use in hesitating, no use in rethinking the logic of his choice.
Because there’s nothing logical about this.
It was dark inside, but the demon in him could see just fine. He wove deeper and deeper beneath the earth until his feet crunched onto bone. Staring down, he saw the path littered in the bones of different creatures—most human in form.
He had found the place.
Continuing forward, his heavy stone feet crunched more and more bones, but he remained in this form, knowing that to enter her domain as a human male would mean instant death. A light grew brighter ahead. He sensed the people waiting, knowing someone approached. As he drew closer to the entrance, he reached the light of the torches.
His stomach flipped. The stone walls were blackened, except where they were splattered with blood. Giant pillars of stone lifted the high ceiling of the cavern. Massive demons wearing armor made of bones lined the path, weapons at their side.
He moved down the path. None of the demons moved. But he didn’t expect them to, not without her command.
At last, he broke out of the line of guards and drew closer to the throne made of bones. She waited there for him, the Demon of Sacrifice. Her face was that of a young, beautiful woman with dark hair and eyes that were dark, with the slightest violet-shade. She wore a black dress that moved and flowed about her as if trying to pull free from the violent power that swelled from within her.
Crunching on yet more bones, he reached the steps before her throne and waited.
“Kneel,” she ordered, and the word vibrated through the room.
Against his will, he collapsed onto his knees, staring up at her.
“You have made a mistake, gargoyle.” Her words were like the tensing of a bow, drawing the air from the room. “I am the Demon of Sacrifice. I am the one who destroys men, those foul creatures who harm women and children. Any woman may come to me, and I will offer her my powers in exchange for vengeance.”
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