Binding Ecstasy (The Guardians of the Realms Book 6)

by Setta Jay

  Jax was just as furious as he sat next to his quiet mate, “Everything is fucking gone like they weren’t even here. What the fuck were they?”

  Sirena blew out a breath and nodded. “I tested some of the blood samples from the ground. It was odd. Similar to our Dragons and Phoenix, but not as powerful. I’m going to keep testing all the ones that Uri and Alex brought in.”

  P was the one to ask what was on all of their minds, “The bigger question is what do they fucking want with Apollo?”

  That was making them all nervous. The warriors had gone straight for the God. Why had they wanted him? And where had they come from? He didn’t like it. All the Guardians had been trying to find answers and clues, but they kept circling back to this being what the Creators had warned them was coming.

  Chapter 36

  The Guardian Manor, Tetartos Realm

  Nastia was furious, but too exhausted to fully feel it. She couldn’t believe the bastard had touched her. Not only had Sander put his hands on her, he’d taken her to Tetartos Realm when she’d been unable to fight the teleport.

  She concentrated on porting but still couldn’t seem to get her power to work. She hoped to hell it was because she was too sapped of energy. She kept trying as she started to wake up a bit more. The room was in a cave system that was slowly fueling her body. Thank God for that.

  Sirena had told her the depleted energy was likely the only thing stalling the effects of the frenzy too. Maybe she should be grateful for being out of it; apparently the alternative was painfully blinding need.

  Awesome.

  The arousal was there, but more of a dull hum. She closed her eyes again until she felt her twin getting closer.

  Tasha stalked into the room and the look on her face wasn’t good. “Are you getting any more strength back?”

  “Yeah.” It wasn’t a complete lie. She felt marginally more like a person. She’d never been so drained that she’d nearly passed out.

  “What did they say?” Nastia demanded, but it came out more like a whisper.

  Her twin started sending her personal energy as she paced and explained everything that was said in the meeting.

  Shit.

  She sighed. “So that means we’re stuck in this Realm while they try to figure out who the warriors were and how to rescue the dickhead God? And we have zero clues as to what we’re dealing with?” Nastia bit out and then she got hopeful. “Or can you get out of the Realm yet with Bastian’s Guardian powers?” And would she be able to now that she was apparently mating a fucking Guardian too?

  “I can’t yet, but there is another way. It’s secret even from the staff here, so keep it quiet,” her twin snapped. Tasha was starting to get good and pissed. “I can’t believe you didn’t have me get you out of there when you found out you couldn’t teleport or mist.” And here was the lecture she hadn’t given her earlier. She must be looking better if Tasha thought she was ready to get her ass chewed.

  Nastia was in no mood or condition to fight. “Just stop.”

  But her sister was on a roll. “You knew you were losing strength and you hid it from me. Don’t blame me for the mating frenzy that’s about to kick your ass. If you’d have said you needed me to port you, I would have. Damn it, Nastia, Sander took at least two hits for you! I’m about to give him a big kiss and our fucking house keys. Maybe even your damned sports car as a goddamned thank you for hauling your ass out of there. What would more blasts have done to you? Look at how drained you are now and you only had a scratch!”

  “It was hardly a scratch,” Nastia groused. It had been a gouge an inch deep. At least. She almost wished Sirena had left it so she could make her point. And Natasha was out of her mind if she thought Sander could have her car. That baby cost her nearly two million dollars and he probably couldn’t fit into it if he tried. Though who the hell knew if the world would still be standing long enough for either of them to drive it. She got a chill thinking about all the unknowns. They had no idea who those warriors were or where they’d come from.

  She hated seeing her twin so jacked up, but she’d be the same way once she had enough energy. Now everything was just dull. Tasha told her during the first visit that the Guardians had found Brigitte. At least one good thing had come out of the day. They’d gotten their friend back, and she was supposedly unharmed. Now they just needed to make sure the world kept turning so the Mageia could enjoy her freedom.

  Her twin kept pacing.

  There was nothing she could say to make Tasha feel better. Nastia had fucked up. She’d fought well, and she would have dodged the first blow Sander had taken for her, but she wouldn’t kid herself. She didn’t think she could’ve missed that last one. It’d all hit too fast. Adrenaline must have carried her for a while, but that wasn’t a good excuse for not calling for her sister to get her out. It could have been pride, but it was mostly something else. She hadn’t wanted to leave the battle; she couldn’t even consider not being there to make sure everyone made it out. To make sure the bastard Phoenix made it. It wasn’t as if he’d been having any trouble, he was so damned powerful and deadly in the fight that she’d been mesmerized by him. God, he’d been beautiful and so intensely protective that she hadn’t known how to process it all. The bastard had gotten to her.

  “I want to kick your ass for scaring me so bad.” Tasha paced another track in the carpet while giving Nastia more energy. “You’re mating that damned Guardian, and I don’t care how much you don’t want him to see your past, or that you two will probably fight like rabid badgers. He’s immune to those weapons, which should make you immune too.”

  She raised a brow. “How romantic.” Nastia had been trying for sarcasm, but it fell flat.

  “Shut up. You’ve been stalking his ass. It’s not as if you don’t want to bag him.”

  Jesus. Her twin really was worried if those words had just come out of her mouth.

  And then it was done. Her sister finally deflated and crawled into bed with her. Tasha rested her head against hers, and Nastia was happy for the moment of comfort and quiet.

  “I was scared. I was so caught up in the fight and then I looked over and you were going down. I don’t even know what I did, but Sander was there first. All I could do was follow your link to Tetartos as Bastian and I killed the warriors. We were outnumbered and I couldn’t leave, but I wanted to. It was like being torn into pieces.”

  “I know. I wouldn’t have expected you to leave the fight. I was fine; it was only a scratch. I just didn’t have time to prepare. And FYI, I would have dodged the first blast Sander took. He was just showing off.”

  “Sander was showing off?” Bastian mused as he walked in. She wondered if Sander would come next. He hadn’t been back since planting her in front of the healer and demanding Sirena check her wound. She’d been too out of it at the time to truly appreciate just how pissed he was. He’d refused to leave, argued with Sirena, and then finally taken her to this room and laid her down before snarling and snapping at someone else while she’d shut her eyes from exhaustion.

  Tasha snuggled with her arm over Nastia’s stomach, and she just lay there uselessly accepting energy and comfort. When she was herself again, she’d probably be mortified at her weakness.

  Bastian looked down at them and frowned. “I’m really happy my brothers aren’t seeing this.”

  “What?” Nastia asked. She even sounded groggy.

  “My mate and her twin sister snuggling is not a vision I want any of them having,” he bit out and sat on the chair next to the bed.

  Tasha groaned and Nastia replied in disgust, “That’s so wrong. You know that, right?” She shook her head and groused, “How is this sexy?”

  Tasha snapped out some similar comment as Nastia felt her twin’s body turn instinctively into the touch of her mate.

  Bastian didn’t reply, just rubbed Natasha’s leg as they all sat in silence.

  “How’s Sacha?”

  He blew out a breath. “Still unconscious.”
<
br />   “I saw her go down,” Nastia admitted. “And Sirena was checking her when Sander brought me here.”

  “I was just with her. Sirena doesn’t have any more answers. We just have to wait.” His features were stoic and Nastia felt for the male. She liked Sacha and she was sure whatever poison she’d inhaled would leave her system. She fucking hoped so.

  “What’s the plan?” Nastia asked the Guardian.

  Her sister answered, “You do what you need to do. What we both know you want to do and we’ll let you know what the Guardians find out. Though I’m sure Sander will tell you.”

  Nastia would deal with the Phoenix and pretend for a moment she wasn’t somehow relieved to have the choice taken away from her, that she wasn’t happy to give in and feel his hands again. He was so warm and she could still feel him on her skin from when he’d carried her. He was beautiful and strong, and she liked verbally sparring with him. He was just so damned arrogant, but she got off on the fact that he would never let her push him around. The only thing making her cringe was the fact that he’d see her memories, see the things she’d done.

  She had a feeling his wouldn’t be any better, but that didn’t sit any better with her. She didn’t like to know he had nightmares too, but maybe their past horrors would be their common ground.

  “And I should tell you,” her twin said and then cursed, “he’s probably hearing your thoughts right now.” If her twin said anything else, she couldn’t hear it through the buzzing in her ears at the revelation that the bastard knew everything she was thinking.

  Rest now, because I’ll be coming for you. Soon.

  Even his voice in her mind warmed her. Fuck!

  Chapter 37

  The Guardian Manor, Tetartos Realm

  Bastian had stayed with her as she checked on Brigitte, who was still sleeping. Tasha was glad her friend wasn’t anywhere near Earth Realm. Odd that now she was happy to be in Tetartos. It felt secure being around all the other Guardians and she was relieved her twin had a powerful male that would hopefully give her immunity to this new threat.

  Bastian tucked her into his arms and carried her up the stairs as she cuddled into his warmth.

  She kept seeing Sacha fall, her sister fall. Icy cold battle rage had settled in when she was fighting. She’d taken down dozens of the warriors, but it hadn’t been enough. The God had been taken and those she cared for had been harmed, and now what?

  The second they slipped through the door of Bastian’s suite he set her down and kissed her with all the urgency that had been building since the fight. She returned the kiss with all of the wild need boiling in her veins. Clothes were ripped and she didn’t hear any of it over the pounding pulse beat in her ears. He lifted her against the door and she held on, crying out the second he drove inside her. He powered into her until she heard the door casing crack. She moaned before being spun with her back on a cold kitchen island. He thrust wildly as his eyes held hers. He lifted her legs over his shoulders and tore her shirt and bra off, and her breasts were in his hands. He filled her so full and all she could do was pant and beg for more.

  “Are you going to come on me, Psihi Mou?”

  “Yes.” And she did a moment later, her channel pulling him tighter as she screamed.

  “That’s a good girl,” he said and spread her legs wide. “Now leave them spread like this. I want to watch as I fuck you.”

  She moaned as she felt her body ramping up again, needing everything he’d give her.

  “Grab onto the counter above your head. Offer your beautiful body for anything I want.”

  She keened. He knew just the words to set her off.

  She watched as his eyes darkened to almost black. He leaned forward and slapped her breast, and she jolted as her back arched for more.

  “I want your tits to be nice and red the next time you come.”

  He kept slapping as he grinded his hips against hers, and then when her chest was on fire and flushed with heat, he rolled his knuckles over her clit with one hand and gripped her hip with the other.

  “Your pussy’s so damned silky and fucking wet. Come again, Psihi Mou.”

  This time he joined her. The way his head flung back as he came inside her was beautiful.

  He lifted her into his arms and carried her toward a bathroom as usual, but this time he demanded, “Put your wrist to my lips.”

  She did and melted at the soft kiss. He’d done it every day since the ceremony and she loved it more every time.

  “I love you, Psihi Mou. You were incredible in the fight… but having you out there was fucking hell.” He shook his head.

  “It was the same for me,” she agreed but had a feeling that this wasn’t the end. What did the warriors want with Apollo, and where had they come from? “We’re going to have to learn to deal with that and we need to do it fast.” She started pulling the tie from his hair before she whispered, “Just know that if I ever go down in battle, I’ll be waiting for you to come dance with me in Heaven.”

  He squeezed her tight and vowed, “That won’t happen. I’ll never let that happen.”

  She snuggled into him. She was still feeling the end of the battle, the buzzing in her body as he set her on the counter and pulled off her ruined clothes.

  “I thought you said Alex had some powerful intuitive ability. Why didn’t it work tonight?”

  “I get the feeling it only hits when things aren’t going our way,” he said.

  “I’d say losing a God to an unknown enemy is not going our way.” She gaped at him.

  He lifted her up and carried her into the shower. Steam flowed around them and she just basked in his warmth, waiting for the response he seemed to be pondering.

  “I can’t explain it. It’s just a feeling even though I know how it sounds right now.”

  She felt more connected to him now than she did when they were making love, because he was sharing his thoughts freely. She felt more a part of something than she ever had. Like he saw her as a partner not just a female to have his babies. Though she wanted that job too. Once things were safe. She got a twinge of anxiety and knew she’d be talking to Sirena about what to do. One Guardian mate was pregnant. It could happen even though the odds weren’t good.

  She started thinking along the same lines, and she wasn’t sure if it was because she just wanted it to be true. “We at least learned about Sander’s immunity, and now he’s hopefully giving that to my sister.”

  He chuckled. “I’m guessing you’re right.” He finished washing her and wrapped her in a towel.

  They both needed some rest before the next meeting. Before something else dropped on their heads.

  “I have something I want you to do,” he said and his eyes were very serious.

  “What is it?” She asked.

  “I want your name on my wrists.”

  She sucked in a breath. “You don’t have to pay any kind of penance for being in my thoughts. I told you—”

  He put his thumb to her lips as he set her in his lap on the bed. “I know. I want you there. You’re already here.” He put her hand on his chest. Over his heart. “I want my own bindings, Psihi Mou.” He kissed her wrists and she would slay any army of warriors if it meant eternity with him.

  I love you, she whispered into his mind as she replaced her wrist with her lips.

  Chapter 38

  The Guardian Manor, Tetartos Realm

  Drake stood looking out the balcony doors to the hole in the wall of the manor. The section Alyssa had destroyed when her young had created the shield.

  He felt when P walked in, but neither said anything as they looked out. Conn hadn’t found any reports in the news about any other shit going down in Earth Realm, and he’d sent Uri and Alex to do the diplomatic shit in Tetartos and let the Immortal warriors know that something was going on and to be alert.

  He needed to know what those warriors wanted with Apollo. He’d been their focus. They couldn’t have cared less about the Guardians. They wanted the G
od for something. Drake had no idea if Apollo knew where any of the other Gods’ stasis units were. Just because he hadn’t tried to free his brothers and sisters didn’t mean the bastard had been ignorant to their locations, so Drake was forced to move the other Deities to Tetartos in case the warriors were searching for Gods specifically.

  They were completely in the dark and he didn’t fucking like it.

  He felt caged like his mate, and his dragon wasn’t fucking happy, but at least it wasn’t raging. Not like it had been. The beast was mentally twining all over the link to his mate. He needed to talk to her. She’d been quiet for hours. After the battle, she’d demanded answers. Demanded. From him.

  He snorted and shook his head, glad he hadn’t let her go when everything went down. He’d been tempted, but things had happened fast. His mate needed Sirena to help her. She wasn’t going anywhere until that was fucking done.

  He ran a hand over his face.

  “What are we going to do?” P asked.

  Drake had been hunting for any option and only had one. “We’re going to release Hades.”

  His cousin stiffened. Hades was one of only three Gods who hadn’t succumbed to taking dark energies. One of the three marginally good Gods. And P’s father.

  “Why not Aphrodite and Ladon?” Drake’s mother and father.

  Wasn’t that the question he’d been going over for hours. “Hades will be less difficult.”

  P raised a brow. “How do you figure?”

  “Because there’s only one of him,” Drake bit out. His mother and father would be a fucking handful, but he’d probably have to release them too. He had a bad feeling he would need all the power he could get to find Apollo and figure out who the hell had taken him and why. He wasn’t sure if this was what the Creators had known would come, but it was beyond likely.