by Setta Jay
He was busy bracing himself for the hellish night to come when his mate dug her fingers in his hair and trailed her lips over his neck, picturing his dark head between her spread thighs. The images changed to him pounding into her fast and hard against a wall, her dress pushed up around her waist.
Her thoughts were an open book and he wasn’t enjoying the current reading material. He understood they didn’t fucking know each other, but he didn’t like her assumption that he’d fuck her to ease the need and let her go back to her life as if nothing had happened. No way in hell was he finding and claiming his mate and not keeping her.
He clenched his jaw as her hands and mouth ran over anything she could reach. His dick ached as he stalked the vacant halls leading to his room. As good as her skin felt against his, she was pissing him the fuck off.
He wanted to take her raw and hard, pinning her hands over her head, thrusting into her wet cunt so hard that they’d leave an imprint of her back against the damned wall. But that wasn’t how this was going to go. His mate mewled and wrapped her arms tight around his neck. Fuck, he nearly groaned at how the sexy sound vibrated to his cock.
He worried less about his mate satisfying his needs without completely wearing her out. He was more focused on fucking her so good that she’d be addicted to what only he could do for her. His kitten would have the strength to withstand his beast’s needs, but she wasn’t mentally ready for that, so he’d be gentle. For now.
Chapter 7
Elizabeth’s Compound, Tetartos Realm
Elizabeth pushed her flaming red curls over a shoulder and ran a palm over the lacy gown. She prowled back and forth in front of the throne in the main cavern of her mountain compound. Her hellhounds tracked her movements as well as the door, guarding her. They were the only beings who pleased her at the moment. She’d sent Reve to find a spell to break her lover free and he’d better return with the answers she wanted.
The scientists were useless against Apollo’s encasement. They’d had a month. Their blood still clung to her flesh as rage festered under her skin, their punishment hadn’t been enough. She’d been forced to be gentle, stoking their fear while ensuring they could still work. She growled in disgust.
The scientists weren’t her only problem. She had an invisible enemy hunting her, killing her warriors, picking them off one by one no matter what protections and traps she had set around her new compound. Her warriors kept finding bodies incinerated, heads mounted on spikes to taunt her. She’d personally taken blood memories from everyone there and found no traitor, no way for the hunters to have found them when they moved. She narrowed her eyes at the wall. She had to be missing something. Guardians wouldn’t toy with her, but a hunting party shouldn’t have been able to find her so quickly; they were a continent away.
If only she could free Apollo, he would take care of it.
She heard movement down the hall and her hounds perked up.
She turned and eyed Reve dragging an old Mageia into her space. She narrowed her eyes at the sweating, panting male.
“Who is this?” Her voice was icy even to her own ears.
She looked at the mortal in front of her. His hair was short and gray. He paled at the sight of her and the hounds sitting up eyeing him intently. His eyes were round as he looked between her and the beasts sitting at her feet. Their sleek black ears lifted; they wanted the male. She scratched her sharp nails over their heads as she slinked closer to the Mageia. He staggered back in fear, which pleased her.
“He has information for you, mistress. The Guardian Bastian interrupted as he was about to impart it.” Reve stood there with muscles tightening and eyes hard.
“I didn’t go to the Guardians. I swear!” The mortal gasped and continued to deny it, “I didn’t… I swear… I would never betray you. I only want to serve and help your cause. I only hope to help.”
She eyed the male as she let her fangs extend. Her hand shot out and gripped his neck, tilting it slowly. She reveled in the scent of his fear and the useless pleas for her not to kill him. She struck deep at his throat and let the muscle tear as his screams and cries echoed off the rock walls.
The coppery stench of blood filled the cavern as his memories filtered in her mind. She lifted away, tossing him aside as the images slid through her head. Blood memories were disjointed and needed assessing. She sat on her throne to sort through them.
The cowardly, bitter old male liked to torment his peers. She felt his desire for Immortality. His hatred for those Mageia who’d found Immortal mates. She saw him talking to others. Rumors of Reve in the city. Rumors of her looking for someone to break a magical lock. Him hearing stories of a Lykos living in the wilds outside of Ouranos. A wolf with a special spell for breaking through anything. A male said to have eerie green eyes instead of the amber common in the race. She felt the old male’s hope to trade the knowledge for Immortality. Desperation as his life ticked away with each passing year.
“You have one more use,” she mused to the old male as he grasped his destroyed neck and sobbed. She sent a mental assent to her hounds, who eagerly descended on the male. Two more uses… His evil aura would feed the beasts for a moment and then she would send his soul to the Tria. This marginally pleased her as she said the words that would contain his soul until she transported it directly to the Tria in Hell Realm. The Mageia would be a partial payment for the beasts she was going to need from them.
She turned slowly, licking the blood from her lips. Her eyes settled on Reve. She was finding it difficult to see the Kairos’ usefulness through the red lining her vision. She hated that she was unable to teleport as Guardians, Gods and Kairos could do. If she could teleport herself, she’d kill the male now, but she had only a few Kairos, and Reve was the most trusted. “You’ve been careless and reckless in your search, Reve. This mortal didn’t tell the Guardians, but it seems your presence was known by several Mageia in the cities. You’re lucky Cyril gave you a spell to conceal your teleport or they would already be here.” She vibrated with fury and saw the male’s bronzed skin pale.
She breathed deeply. There was no time to punish the male for his incompetence. The writhing whimpering Mageia had kept his solution to himself, but how long before the Guardians found someone else with the same information? Reve may or may not have a head start in the search of the wilds around Ouranos, and she wanted that Lykos.
Chapter 8
Guardian Manor, Tetartos Realm
Ileana had been shocked, paralyzed when his touch eased the sharp pain in her stomach, her womb. The cursory effort to be set down had only been to appease her pride, but she hadn’t wanted him to relinquish his hold. He was so warm, so intoxicating, and everything about him destroyed her concentration on anything but seeing his powerful body naked.
The Guardians were looking for Elizabeth, and she would be useless until she fed the need. The pain and blinding desire had brought the fact out in stark relief.
Her gut churned for a second. She’d gotten herself into a huge problem, a very permanent one, but she just couldn’t think of all that now. She wasn’t stupid. There was no denying the frenzy when it started, and having wild sex with the gorgeous male wouldn’t be a hardship. She’d enjoy every second of it and then make him take her home so she could figure out what to do next.
Her eyes caught on the tightening of his strong jaw and trailed to the sexy tendons of his neck. He was beautiful. Her eyes glazed as she lifted up, letting her fingers trail in his hair as she ran her lips over his neck. Her tongue darted out to give her the first sweet taste of his skin and she moaned, felt lost in the pleasure as his muscles tensed and his grip on her tightened. She wanted his firm lips next, needed them on her skin, imagined his dark head between her thighs, doing what she loved. She let her fantasies run wild as he growled. The vibrations shot from his chest through her entire body and down to her wet, aching pussy.
She moaned as more desire slid from her body, and her back bowed in his arms. Her cat purred as sh
e held onto his shoulders and gave in to the temptation to lift up and nip his stubbled jaw. She pulled on his hair, wanting to bring his head down, hoping to get his lips on hers. His piercing gaze settled on her face. It was harsh, angry? From the frenzy, the need?
“Tell me your name,” he demanded.
“What does it matter?” She purred as she took another taste at the tight tendon of his neck.
“It matters,” he growled down at her. His blue eyes flashed and she felt how serious and nearly out of control he was.
“Ileana.”
“We’re going to spend time getting to know each other after I ease your aching pussy, Ileana.”
She didn’t like the way his words made her feel. Ease her? As if he cared. She shook it off. She wouldn’t get attached; she’d never allowed anyone close. That was against everything she was. This would be sex, probably a lot of sex to feed the frenzy, but they were both strong and could work through everything in a civil way.
“Kitten, civil is not the word I’d use for what we’ll be,” he growled and she reached up to pull his head down to hers. She wanted to taste his mouth and shut him up.
She sucked his tongue into her mouth and moaned at the sweet taste. She pulled him down for a deeper more urgent sampling, but he wouldn’t give it to her. She pulled his hair and he growled into her mouth as he teased her, only giving her soft gentle caresses when she wanted him to plunder her mouth. It was torture. Her skin was on fire as he taunted and tempted her with small samples of his tongue against hers. So damned sweet when she wanted aggressive, lust-filled mindlessness.
“This won’t be a casual fuck.” His eyes flashed as he growled at her. His words threw her off guard and unsettled her. All Immortal males, and definitely Ailouros, lived for sex? They were deviants. His eyes grew harder as he tracked her face.
“And when a deviant finds his mate?” he bit out on a snarl. “No, kitten. I’ll feed this, but I’ll claim you my way. You’ll get what you need. More.” He growled. “Now kill the spell on your hair. I want to see you.”
The word “claim” set her stomach on end and she didn’t like it. “It’s just sex,” she rasped back.
“Go ahead and think that. For now,” he growled.
He opened the door to a suite of rooms, using some Guardian telekinetic power, because she didn’t feel his hands move from her body.
The door slammed shut behind them and his long purposeful strides carried them through a kitchen and living room she barely saw. He moved into a big bedroom, but instead of taking her to the bed, he stalked into an adjoined bathroom. Water began flowing as he snarled, “Hair.”
She blustered, feeling unsettled at his behavior. He wasn’t fitting the mold of any other experience. His muscles were tense and his jaw was hard. Was the lust trying to drive him every bit as much as it was doing with her? Why wouldn’t he just do it, do something to gain them some damned relief? She wanted his mouth on her body, not making demands.
He growled. “Kitten, my mouth is going to be all over your hot little ass after you lose the damned spell.”
She moaned at the vibrations coming from his thick muscled chest. She was hot, frustrated, and confused all at once. Not to mention wetter than she’d ever been in her entire existence. He was nothing like the rumors she’d remembered hearing and she needed him to be. A frustrated growl slid from her throat.
“Would you rather I break the spell?” His voice was steel, resonating with power as his eyes flashed. Her animal mewled to have him, to submit under all that intensity. The emotions and her animal were pulling her in directions that weren’t who she was; she was confident, a warrior who ruled her own domain.
His eyes narrowed pointedly at her hair. Fine, if he wanted to see her hair, what did she care? She took a minute and felt for the spell before breaking it.
She caught a glimpse of her gold-streaked hair in the big mirror in front of them.
“Beautiful,” he said a second before his mouth descended on hers. Too damned slow, not the devouring she wanted; she groaned in frustration as he set her on her feet and broke the kiss. In her lust-filled daze she swore she saw his muscled arms shaking and the movement held her gaze. This big male wanted her, but was fighting it and tormenting them both.
She heard the slide of her zipper and the material gapping at her back. Her breathing hitched at the ease with which he used the telekinetic ability.
“Take it off.”
She slipped the straps over her shoulders and let the material slip to the stone floor. His eyes tracked over her bare breasts to the tiny triangle of hair on her mound. She was comfortable in her nudity and her cat was pleased at the heated appreciation in his eyes.
“Fucking sexy.” He growled at the sight of the small blade strapped to her thigh.
His eyes flashed as she freed the strap and let the blade slide to the tile. “You aren’t wearing underwear.”
“I don’t like them.” She didn’t love clothing in general.
He groaned and she saw a muscle tick in his cheek. “Beautiful.”
The clasps of her shoes slipped free as steam filled the air. He toed off his boots and stripped his socks off while his eyes stayed fixed on her heated flesh. The leather shirt flew to the ground before his hands went to the waist of his pants. She moaned at the sight of his chest; the glint of the metal balls cradling both of his nipples made her mouth water for a taste. She slipped from the shoes and reached for his zipper. He was sculpted with rippling muscle dipping in waves down to the vee that led to what she wanted.
He stood there, a proud male beast avidly watching his prey. She slipped the button loose and eased the zipper down. She gasped as his cock broke free of the confines to ride high and hard against his stomach.
Her skin ached as she pulled the material down his hard packed legs.
Everything about him was larger than in her fantasies. His lips tilted and she got the bad feeling he was in her head.
“You’re broadcasting.” He groaned.
Her heart stopped along with her hands as she checked to see that her mental shields were intact. What had he learned already? She narrowed her eyes. “Get out of my head,” she snarled. He was somehow getting through because she hadn’t been broadcasting.
“I’ll help you with a mental shield,” he said as he freed his legs from the pants and drew her eyes. Focus lost. “But not now.” Her mouth went completely dry when he stood straight, hard and proud, his shoulder muscles twitching beneath the tattooed skin. Her skin drew tight and she didn’t think she’d last much longer.
She sank down to her knees, knowing exactly what she liked and having no problem going first, because it was all moving too slowly.
His fingers pushed into her hair and tilted her head up. His eyes were hard, his breathing as erratic as hers. “When I want you on your knees, I’ll tell you.”
She was back in his arms before she registered the shocked pleasure of skin to hot skin. What male passed up a blow job?
“The male who knows what he fucking wants when he wants it. You don’t make the rules, kitten, you need to learn that now.” He growled again.
Rules? What rules?
“Yes, Ileana, tonight there are rules. I touch. You don’t. You want my mouth, you don’t get on your knees. You trust that I’ll take care of it.” He growled.
She felt her temper flare along with his as he set her on her feet again under the spray of the large marble shower. A plethora of nozzles pelted her aching, tense muscles and she moaned as the steam caressed her sensitive skin. Was she really going to have to tackle the damned male and make him fix this? Really? She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing the now wet mass off her forehead and cheeks.
“Right now I want to see your face, Ileana.” Her name sounded like something erotic and beautiful on his lips. She liked it and hated that she did. “Close your eyes,” he said and his big palms came up to her face. Soapy fingers caressed her eyes and lips. Her jaw. She rubbed her cheek
against one big warm palm and felt the purr rise from her lips, the sound unbidden, irritating… unsettling. Shocking. Her beast was turning on her.
“Fucking incredible,” he whispered after warm water washed away the thick makeup. The reverence in his voice was too much for her. Her eyes opened to see raw need burning in his vividly blue gaze. His entire focus was zeroed in on her flushed cheeks and lips. His thumb slid over her lower lip and she nipped before lashing her tongue across the pad. This wasn’t right. The look in his eyes felt like a noose around her neck. It was too personal, too intense.
She grabbed his hand and moved it down her body, between her thighs. “No more teasing, this is where I want you.” His fingers felt good there, warm and thick.
The digits curled in, breaching her entrance, at least two fingers slid deep inside as his palm covered her mound, the strength of his hold unmistakable, not painful. He squeezed, and though it was meant as a warning, it felt too perfect, and her breath left in a hiss as her cat purred for more. “Kitten, I’m no house cat. You don’t issue orders. Ask or wait.” His fingers moved inside her, just a small caress before stilling again.
She groaned as he held her still and her hands went to his thick forearm. His eyes drilled into hers. He was torturing her even more. Her breaths came in harsh pants as she circled her hips on his fingers, wanting them to move. She’d never truly cared for or needed penetration, but he made it good.
“Tell me you’ve taken a male before?”
She stared at him through a lust-filled haze before answering, “Seriously? It’s not some magical feat. Yes.” The words came out husky, raspy. She’d taken a male a couple of times and had never found it all that exciting. She preferred a male’s mouth.
He growled and then slipped his fingers out of her opening and moved to her clit. Her cat mewled, or she did; she wasn’t sure what noises she made. She was near mindless with need. Her fingers dug into his hair as she got closer to coming. She closed her eyes and he stopped moving. She snarled and looked up at him.
