Hyacinth, Scarlet - Craving Owen [Tides of Love 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove)

by Hyacinth, Scarlet

  Before Owen could admire the beautiful landscape any further, Fayre gestured them to a small boat. “Come on. My brother tends to be impatient.”

  They jumped on the boat, and Owen realized it seemed strangely translucent. Beneath it, Owen spotted fish swimming in the clear waters, sea vegetation, the view so clear it could have been through a window. He had a flashback of the one time he and Connor had gone on a holiday together, back when they’d still been university students. They’d chosen the seaside and managed to gather enough cash for a tour much like this one. Connor…Where was his friend now? Was he doing better than Owen?

  Shaking himself, Owen looked away from the water just in time to watch the corridor they’d come through disappear into thin air. “Don’t worry,” Fayre said, as if guessing his anxiety. “It’s only a passage leading into the astral plane. I’ll open it again for you when you need it.”

  “So this place, it’s not real?”

  Fayre laughed. “Of course it’s real. Everything wizards create is real. It’s like a shadow of Uli, only through the filter of our magic. That’s why we have presences in both worlds.”

  Owen blinked. He could be sure he understood that, but then again, he wasn’t a wizard. He couldn’t see a steering wheel or anything else resembling controls for the boat, and Owen pretended not to realize they might very well be drifting away into the nothingness. He was comforted by the fact that Hash seemed to trust Fayre’s abilities, but he still felt much better when the boat slowed down. Another vessel waited for them, a muscular, silver-haired man standing in the center of it.

  “Finally,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for ages.”

  He sounded pissed, but Fayre laughed lightly. “Don’t be like that, Kyllian. These are my friends.”

  There were introductions all around, and Kyllian swept his silver eyes over them in a mix of bemusement and boredom. “So, I hear you need my help in the plague lands,” he said without preamble. “Well, I don’t do anything just because. I expect a reward.”

  “Certainly,” Hash answered. “You’ll be richly compensated.”

  Kyllian chuckled. “I don’t need money, dragon. Gold is useless for me.” His silver gaze fixed on Owen. “However, your human is interesting. Tell you what. I’ll trade you my services for one night with him.”

  For a few moments, nobody spoke. And then, the water around them started to move in angry waves. A claw formed out of the ocean, threateningly looming over the wizard. “How dare you?” Yane snarled. “The very suggestion sickens me.”

  The water shot toward Kyllian, but the wizard just waved a hand and it dissipated. “You forget, nymph, that this is my realm.”

  Hash and Alcharr shot into the air angrily. For the first time, Owen saw bright burning wings shoot from Hash’s back. “Coward,” Alcharr shouted. “Face us like a man instead of hiding behind your tricks.”

  Kyllian looked bored. “I thought you wanted to use my tricks. I just suggested a business deal. You’re free to take it or leave it.”

  “Kyllian, they’re my friends,” Fayre said in a wounded tone. “How can you even ask that?”

  Kyllian sighed in exasperation. “Little brother, what they’re asking for is no easy task. Believe me, I know.”

  The conversation continued in a language Owen didn’t understand. What in the world were they going to do? He was pretty sure Hash didn’t have any other wizard friends. Apparently, they were quite rare, and Fayre’s connection with Hash was unusual in itself.

  Owen remembered the plague lands, the two-headed wyrm, and the tired, sad people of Tanarak. He thought of Sassaki and the risk the wyrm took in contacting Yane. He knew the wyrm was merely trying to keep him safe, but this had become so much more now. It was bigger than all of them, and it would influence Yane’s people for ages to come.

  At the same time, he wondered if Kyllian’s magic could create a balance in the plague lands. Sassaki had mentioned the unfairness of the situation, and Owen silently agreed. Perhaps he could bring it up. But to do that, he needed to pay Kyllian’s price.

  “Can you really help us?” he asked Kyllian.

  Kyllian nodded. “I haven’t actually studied it, but it shouldn’t be too hard to consolidate a protection spell. I will be able to tell you more once I look into it.”

  “I don’t want this war to continue,” Owen said softly. “Can you help us find a way to stop it?”

  For a few moments, Kyllian remained silent. “I can’t make any promises on that,” he said. “Some things are beyond the power of one individual. But I will do my best to aid you in whatever you need.”

  Owen gulped. “All right then. We have a deal.”

  “No,” Hash said. “Absolutely not. We took you here to keep you safe, not to have some pervert force you into something you don’t want. “

  Kyllian chuckled. “Never fear. Little Owen will enjoy everything I do. And besides, if you hadn’t brought him along, I’d have never agreed in the first place.”

  They were stuck and they all knew it. They could go back and ignore the situation, but how long would that last? The wyrms were already planning an attack. It wouldn’t take long for Yane’s people to be assaulted.

  But the three men were beyond angry. “Owen, you can’t be serious,” Alcharr whispered. “You don’t have to do this.”

  Owen smiled, suddenly feeling at peace with his decision. “I do.”

  Kyllian watched the exchange between the human and his companions with carefully hidden satisfaction. He’d known from the moment he’d first seen the four that there was sexual tension there and a tremendous power that just waited to be unleashed.

  But his magic told him the union between his visitors was not complete. They just needed a little nudge, and it was exactly what Kyllian intended.

  Clearing his throat, he said, “In a gesture of good faith, I will wait for my payment until my part of the deal is complete.” Smirking, he added, “But first, a sample.”

  Before anyone else could answer, Kyllian jumped from his boat to Fayre’s and took the human in his arms. The other three men were too shocked to even move, but Kyllian threw a shield around them, regardless. Just in time, too, as seconds later, Alcharr’s claws raked the surface of the energy bubble.

  Smirking, Kyllian ignored the attack and focused on Owen. His eyes were wide, beautiful, and fearful, and Kyllian wanted him so badly it hurt. “Don’t fear me, little human,” he whispered. “I won’t hurt you.”

  Owen nodded, still hesitant but a bit less tense. Unable to resist the temptation, Kyllian pressed his mouth to Owen’s. He licked across the seam of the human’s lips, coaxing them open. Immediately, Owen complied, and Kyllian drew him closer, loving the young man’s instinctual reply.

  Their tongues tangled as Kyllian took possession of Owen’s mouth. He plundered the wet cavern, exploring each recess. Owen let out a small moan, and it aroused Kyllian even further. Images of Owen tied down and at his mercy flashed through his mind, and he ravaged Owen’s lips, frustrated with the knowledge that he could not take what he wanted, not just yet, at least.

  They broke apart when the need to breathe forced them to. Kyllian’s cock throbbed in need at the feel of the soft, warm body against him. He pulled Owen closer, keeping a strong hold on Owen. He slipped a hand between them and reached down to cup Owen’s prick. The human fidgeted and tried to get away, but he was hard and responding to every touch from Kyllian.

  “Stand still, little human, or else I might fuck you right here in front of your men.”

  Owen’s face flushed, and Kyllian read both shame and arousal in his blue eyes. Owen wanted what Kyllian promised, but he felt guilty for doing so. Kyllian could not push any further today without wrecking the whole thing.

  As such, Kyllian released Owen from his hold. “They want you, but they’re afraid,” he told Owen. “Remember that.” Surprise flashed on the human’s face, but Kyllian didn’t give him time to ask any questions. He allowed the shield around them to fall
. Almost immediately, the three men attempted to attack him. To Kyllian’s surprise, Owen stepped in front of him. “We have a deal now,” he said softly. “Don’t get angry on my behalf. There’s no going back.”

  Hash’s nostrils flared, his eyes burning coals of anger. The water around them swirled, Yane’s power threatening to push them over the edge of the boat. Alcharr spread his wings out threateningly. Still, none of them moved, and life seemed to drain out of them. Their shoulders slumped, and Hash pulled Owen close. “Okay,” he said, while caressing Owen’s hair. “Okay. We’ll see what happens.”

  Judging by Hash’s tone, the man didn’t intend to allow Kyllian to set another finger on Owen. For the moment, Kyllian was satisfied with that. Time would decide how this little project would end up.

  “If you’ve made your decision, we should go,” Fayre said softly. “There’s not much time.”

  Kyllian mentally sighed. His brother was clearly upset with him for his request. He’d have to talk to Fayre soon, sometime when the other men weren’t around.

  “Okay, then,” he said, trying to sound cheerful. “Here we go.”

  Since he was older and stronger than Fayre, he created a larger boat that allowed them to have a reasonable amount of space between each other. He knew the four men needed some time to process what they, or rather, what Owen had agreed upon. The trip continued in silence while Kyllian led them to the rift through which they’d come.

  The men jumped out of the boat and climbed into the corridor that would lead them back to Uli. “What about you?” Owen asked. “Aren’t you coming?”

  Kyllian shook his head. “The crystal is here, in the astral plane,” he explained. “It’s here where I need to work.”

  Owen’s companions frowned at him in nearly identical expressions. “How do we know you won’t cheat us?” Yane asked.

  “I’ll stay behind,” Hash said. “I’m knowledgeable with magic.”

  Hash hugged Owen and the other men, then jumped in the boat. Kyllian would have been pissed at the blatant distrust, but he supposed he hadn’t made a very good impression on the men by demanding Owen for himself.

  As Fayre and the remaining three disappeared into the corridor, Kyllian turned toward the shape-shifter. “Brace yourself. It’s going to be a wild ride.”

  “What do you mean you agreed on giving Owen to some wizard?” Sassaki snarled at Yane. “I told you to look after him. Can’t you at least do that?”

  Night had fallen over Tanarak, the sky clouded like always, hiding the stars. He’d waited for one week, one endless week for the four men to return. Every day, he’d watched Tanarak, yearning to see Owen once again. Finally, this evening, he’d noticed Yane and Owen return. He’d been puzzled by the absence of Hash and Alcharr, and even then, he’d sensed something was wrong. Even so, the last thing he’d expected was for Yane to tell him about the deal they’d made, a trade-off between Owen’s happiness and the plague lands’ safety.

  The nymph opened his mouth to answer, but Owen stopped him. “It’s my fault.” He gave Sassaki a pleading look. “Please understand. Yane had nothing to do with this decision.”

  Sassaki looked away from his mate. The beach was silent and lonely, and all of a sudden, Sassaki felt like he couldn’t breathe. For the first time in his life, he wanted to shift and kill. He would not accept this. He would rather die.

  Yane scowled back. “I assure you, I’m not very happy with the situation either.”

  It was easy for Yane to say that. After all, no matter what choice was made, he won. His people would continue to be protected. But the very point of Sassaki’s involvement in this had been to keep Owen away from all harm.

  “No.” He shook his head furiously. “I refuse.”

  “There’s no going back now,” Owen answered. “The wizard is already in the plague lands, studying the enchantment.”

  “I don’t care.” Sassaki fumed. “I’ve only ever cared about keeping you safe. I don’t want any part of this war.”

  Owen seemed disappointed. “Sassaki, you’re part of it, whether you like it or not. You told me that your people are banished into the polluted waters. Maybe we can work things out with Kyllian’s help.”

  Yane didn’t comment, so Sassaki surmised this wasn’t the first time the topic had come up. Unfortunately, Owen’s view was idealistic. If a war could be ended just by the involvement of one wizard, there would be very little conflicts on Uli, or any other world.

  But Owen looked so eager and so hopeful that Sassaki didn’t have it in him to say no. He tried to squelch his anger and said, “All right. So where is this Kyllian?” He looked around the beach and considered. “Then again, where are Alcharr and Hash?”

  He had to admit that in the short time he’d spent with the men, he’d become fond of them, even of Yane, his longtime enemy. To see Alcharr and Hash gone disconcerted him. “Hash went with Kyllian to deal with the crystal,” Owen answered. “As for Alcharr, he just said he had trouble at home.”

  Yane looked uncomfortable, and Sassaki detected a story there, a lie, something Owen didn’t know of. He recalled the famous alliance between the eagles and the dryads. With everything that was going on, he’d completely forgotten about Yane’s wedding.

  He narrowed his eyes at Yane, silently telling the other man to speak to Owen. He’d noticed Owen’s fondness for Yane—how could he not?—and he knew keeping Owen in the dark was unfair, to all of them. So far, Sassaki had been very accepting about this odd situation, but he refused to allow anyone to use Owen. On that note, he’d have a little word with this Kyllian. Perhaps he could convince the wizard to change his mind. The liberal application of fang always did the trick.

  “So what now?” he asked, feeling a bit more reassured.

  “We have to pretend nothing’s wrong, at least until we hear from Kyllian,” the nymph answered in a low voice. His deep blue eyes seemed to send Sassaki a message. I’ll tell him.

  Mentally sighing, Sassaki caressed Owen’s cheek. On impulse, he hugged Yane. The nymph’s warmth felt strangely familiar, but Sassaki didn’t allow himself to dwell too much on it. It would be disturbing.

  “I’m going back,” he told the two men. “If I find anything else, I’ll let you know.”

  Owen and Yane waved at him as Sassaki returned to the dark waters. When he felt certain they couldn’t see him, he shifted into his wyrm form. He wanted everyone to leave him alone, and the best way to ensure that was to stay like this.

  Upset, he curled at the bottom of the ocean, wondering and remembering. Could Owen be right? Could they have a chance at peace?

  The sound of a familiar voice drew him out of his musings. “What are you doing, son?”

  His mother’s figure appeared in front of him. Great, just great. She was probably among the few who dared to approach him while he stayed in wyrm form. She’d opted to be discreet and chose her legged form, but that didn’t make her any less intimidating.

  “You’ve been odd lately,” she commented when he didn’t answer. Sassaki gave her a look, and Lota added, “Well, son, speak. What’s on your mind?”

  For a brief second, Sassaki considered telling her everything. He disliked keeping secrets from his mother. She was the only one who’d always stood by his side. But then, he’d have to tell her about his odd relationship with Yane, about Alcharr, and Hash, and Kyllian. It would be a mess.

  Turning into his normal form, he shook his head and answered, “Nothing, Mother. Just feeling out of sorts.”

  She reached for him and took his hand. Her palm felt strikingly warm, something he found strange given their reptilian blood. But then again, his mother always seemed warm to him. Perhaps it wasn’t even a physical thing, but rather the affection she lavished upon him. Did he dare tell her about Owen? He wanted to. He wanted to share this with the person who’d always been by his side, but he was scared.

  “You’re hiding something from me,” she said, her expression closing off. “You’ve never done so be
fore.”

  “Mother, I—”

  “Enough,” his mother interrupted him. “We’ve been pretending nothing is wrong for far too long. I’m willing to accept that you do not wish to act like your brothers. But these secrets you keep…What is it that you want to hide?”

  She sounded stern, but behind her chilly demeanor, Sassaki sensed hurt. Still, he feared for his mate, and for Yane, as well. He didn’t know how he could possibly make someone of his own kind understand the situation.

  “It’s nothing, Mother,” he repeated. “I just need some time alone.”

  Saying goodbye to Lota, Sassaki swam away. His entire being screamed for him to return to the surface and to Owen, but he knew better. His mother already suspected something. If he wasn’t careful, she could find out about Owen. Would he ever be able to be with his mate? He didn’t know the answer, and he was afraid of it.

  After Sassaki disappeared into the water, Owen turned toward Yane, still puzzled. He felt there were many things they weren’t telling him. Yane looked very thoughtful, and there seemed to have been a silent exchange between him and Sassaki that Owen couldn’t quite grasp.

  “What is it, Yane? What’s bothering you?”

  At first, Yane didn’t answer. It occurred to Owen that it could be any of the things happening lately, from the sudden threat to the plague lands to Kyllian’s appearance. But somehow, Owen thought it was more than that.

  Frustrated, he moved into Yane’s personal space and pressed their bodies close. He was sick of dancing around the subject. If Yane and the others didn’t intend to do anything about it, he would.

  Yes, it seemed crazy. For all Owen knew, it might even be an elaborate hallucination, a dream his fucked-up imagination had come up with. But Owen had taken a lot of risk throughout his life, mostly with all the wrong men. He’d take a chance again. He had a feeling Yane was worth it.