by Jana Downs
“I have limited experience with them outside of Peter Pan memorabilia,” Salvatore agreed.
Destin took a deep breath and took the plunge. “Faery are elemental beings older than any species in any known universe. We’re very hard to kill and very close to the visceral side of all things. We have our worlds tucked beneath others. My mother’s world is in the Earth realm, and there are others, even one in Demontia if memory serves. It was run by one of my cousins last time I checked. Most of the time natives don’t know we’re there, but our impact on the world is significant. We bring ancient magick into the realm. My realm is Underhill, the original wildlands of the fae.” He paused. “We have certain things we get from whatever world we’ve attached our kingdoms to. On Earth, my mother’s people take energy from the humans. Their emotions are a potent form of consumable energy.”
“Is that why you work as a bartender? To feed off human emotions?” Salvatore understood the concept. He knew of some demons who had to do the same thing.
“In part,” Destin hedged. “Because I am the monarch of Underhill, I have the ability to go into other realms and feed as I wish. Most of the fae of Underhill can’t leave here.”
Salvatore frowned. “Why not?”
“Underhill is the only independent Faery Kingdom left in existence. It was one of the reasons fae left this realm to live in others. An independent kingdom must feed on itself to maintain its energy. My courtiers must feed on each other. Every emotion in my kingdom is game for food. They must feed on another fae of this realm or else their magick slowly drains away and they die. Needless to say, they don’t travel much. I’m the exception rather than the rule. Let’s see, what else? Uh, well, lust is probably the most popular emotion because it requires relatively little effort to produce and reproduce on a grand scale. You demonstrated a leaning toward it when you went through the transition, so I don’t see you having a problem doing it again.”
Salvatore liked that idea. Especially when Destin was so close to him. Surprisingly, his body stirred under the sheet. He purred, literally purred, and leaned in to Destin’s prone body.
“Whoa. No. Slow down. Not me. You don’t get me,” Destin said immediately, disappearing and reappearing out of his reach.
Salvatore frowned. “Why not? I thought we agreed to date.”
“Salvatore, it’s not so simple anymore. I wouldn’t just be a Faery King dating a human he met at a nightclub on Earth. Now you’re part of my Court and are about to experience an entirely new way of life.”
“I’m not a part of your Court,” Salvatore corrected. That sick feeling was back in his stomach.
“Unfortunately, you are now. Your injury was mortal, Salvatore. You wouldn’t have survived it. I felt obligated to save you since it was my fault that you were injured to begin with. I went to extreme lengths, lengths I wouldn’t have normally gone to.”
“The transition,” Salvatore whispered. His stomach was churning now.
Destin nodded. “I changed a fundamental part of who you were into fae. You’re now so much a part of my Summer Court here at Underhill that you can’t survive on the other side without someone of our Court to feed from, and until you learn to control all your new impulses, you have to stay here.”
“I am not your prisoner!” Salvatore snapped. He was pissed that he was too sore to stand. He wanted to confront Destin head-on. “I’d rather have died than been made a prisoner for the rest of my life. The prison I was in at least had an expiration date. I mean, it wasn’t a very firm one, but it was there nonetheless.”
Destin stood with a sigh and turned his back on the enraged Demon Prince. “I’m sorry. It’s very hard on humans to be converted to fae. Most of my Court was surprised that you survived. If you hadn’t been part dragon, you probably would not have.” He paused again, partially turning back toward Salvatore. “Speaking of which, what were you? Now that you’re here, I see no reason not to ask.”
“What’s your name?” Salvatore countered. Destin shook his head.
“I am really and truly your Destiny, Salvatore. I don’t need another name.”
“Then it’s none of your business what I am.” Salvatore sniffed with every ounce of his royal disdain. A resentment over this new cage filled him. With it, a surge of energy flooded his being, taking with it the soreness he’d been feeling. He rolled to his feet and stalked after Destin.
“This is that hunger I told you that you’d have to learn to control.” Destin backed away slowly. “This room is yours. When you’re strong enough, ask Mar to take you around to see the rest of the palace and the gardens.”
“You gave this to me. Take responsibility.” Salvatore growled. He felt like he was entitled to something other than an “I’m sorry” from the Fae King. He hated cages but hated being told he had no choice even more. Even with the Ravyns he had some sort of choice.
“I can’t take you as a Consort,” Destin said. His eyes were wide. So he’d never expected Salvatore to demand he be the one to sate his hunger? What utter stupidity. Didn’t the faery get that Salvatore still wanted him beyond anything else? His obsession certainly hadn’t gone away. Destin played with his lip piercing nervously. It was good to see the fae so off guard.
“Why not? Here or there makes little difference.” Salvatore mirrored his actions, and if Destin turned his back Salvatore would be on him.
“I’m gone for weeks at a time. I wouldn’t be here to take care of your needs.”
“Then take me with you. Take me back home.”
“No. Salvatore, it’s dangerous over there for you right now.”
“Take me home, Destin. Take me to bed. Just fucking take me.” The burning ache of arousal was back in full force, and Salvatore became aware of another consciousness that was almost merged with his. It didn’t feel like another mind trying to influence or invade his own. In fact, it almost felt like it was another him. A more primitive him.
Ours, the being said. The growl was a reptilian rumble. Take. Ours. Salvatore felt his top and bottom canines elongate like a shifter’s. He was hard as a rock now, and he knew his eyes were glowing even if he couldn’t see them. They’d done that ever since he was young. If he were angry or aroused, they glowed like a pair of torches.
Destin inhaled sharply, and he seemed to be experiencing an inner dilemma of his own because his hands were clenching and unclenching at his sides as if he were resisting the urge to reach out to Salvatore. “I can’t–I can’t make you my Consort.” He stumbled through the sentence and managed to trip over a small table that was seated beside a brown leather couch Salvatore hadn’t seen before.
“You better take responsibility for this, Destiny,” Salvatore snarled. He reached out and grabbed the shorter man’s arms and pulled him flush against his body. “Mine!” He growled primitively. The other being inside him decided to voice its opinion. “You said watch. You watched. Now, you’re Mine.”
Destiny blinked. “How do you speak the ancient tongue?” he asked incredulously. “Only the royal family knows that language.” Salvatore inhaled his scent, drawing it into his lungs like he was inhaling one of Tony’s flavored cigarettes until his head spun with a nicotine-like high.
Salvatore shrugged. It didn’t really matter. Destin was just trying to distract him. “I have no idea how I know it.” He lowered his head and captured Destiny’s lips in a kiss. It was a brutal clash of tongues and teeth and Destin loved it. Secretively. Sort of. He moaned but cut the noise off as quickly as he could. Salvatore smirked against his lips as Destin pressed his body against Salvatore’s as the bigger male’s cock dug into his stomach.
* * * *
Salvatore growled triumphantly. This is how he wanted Destin, hot, alive, close. The way he was supposed to be. Salvatore had been in love with the bartender for weeks now, but only now did he understand the true depth of that emotion. It went beyond a simple crush. He wanted to claim Destin before the world. Make him his in any way he could. Show him with every inch of his body
just how much he did love him. His hand dug into Destin’s hips, and the demon howled at the hard press of flesh against his thigh. Yes, he thought.
The Fae King’s hands were tangled in Salvatore’s red tresses, and he was panting against his mouth. A few short steps would put them back in range of the bed, and then Salvatore would have him in just the position he’d needed him in for the past three days. Hell, if he was honest, longer than that. At first the bartender had been a welcome distraction from his self-induced imprisonment, and later he’d been a friend of sorts who he talked to when the Ravyns went out. Somewhere along the way he’d become something very precious. The only one to seem to like him without knowing who and what he was.
The bed hit the back of Destin’s knees, and it seemed to knock him out of the spiral into Salvatore’s bed. “S–stop,” Destin said against Salvatore’s lips. Then he leaned up and plunged his tongue back into Salvatore’s mouth to mate with it for a few minutes. Talk about mixed signals. Salvatore pressed him back into the welcoming embrace of the bed and triumphed at the thrill of finally having Destin there.
“As your King, I command you to stop,” Destin groaned desperately. His circlet was tossed aside, and his shirt torn from his body.
“As my King, you can command me nothing. We’re equals, you and I,” Salvatore and his new alter ego said in unison. He pressed a line of kisses down Destin’s throat, making him shiver. Self-preservation must’ve kicked in because it was then he started yelling.
“Guards!” he shouted. Wings exploded out of Salvatore’s back, flaming wide in fury. His vision zoned out into shades of heat and sound once again.
“You would dare have someone else interfere?” Salvatore demanded. They heard pounding footsteps.
“You’re scaring me!” Destin screamed, looking Salvatore dead in the eyes.
Salvatore felt himself pale, and he was immediately across the bed from Destin. He wrapped his arms around his knees and rocked back and forth. “I’m sorry,” He whispered, shutting his eyes tight. “I’m so sorry. Forgive me. I…just want you so much.” He glanced at Destin, who had propped himself on his elbows. He closed his eyes to block out the image of Destin partially dressed. His body still throbbed, and the being inside him, the other him, still growled at him that Destin was a liar and his body showed the truth of his desire. The hard cock was all the evidence his other self needed to see.
“It’s the hunger. I promise it’ll get easier.” Destin’s warm hands were suddenly petting his head and the smell of his sweat had Salvatore growling all over again. He opened his eyes and looked up.
“I’ve never felt so…” He searched for the right word.
“Raw? Instinctual? Animalistic? It is the core of what a faery is. What you are now.” Destin leaned forward and kissed his lips gently. “Allow my Court to teach you to gentle your beast and to let it rage.”
“I didn’t want to lose my virginity to some guy I didn’t know,” Salvatore murmured, leaning against Destin. The King cradled his head against his chest. Salvatore heard his heart skip a beat as he spoke.
“You were a virgin?”
“In a manner of speaking.” Salvatore felt his cheeks start to burn and nuzzled the soft skin of Destin’s chest, licking the nipple an inch from his tongue. The fae hissed, and Salvatore smiled. “I’d never been with another guy before.”
Destin was silent a long while. “I didn’t know that. I’m sorry.” He waved a hand and Salvatore saw the shadows move and then disappear. What the hell was that? This place had more secrets than a fun house. “Tell me your name, Destin,” Salvatore demanded, leaning up and pressing a wet kiss to Destin’s neck.
“It’s not important,” Destin hedged, tilting his head to expose more to Salvatore’s kisses. Salvatore smiled at that. Destin could deny it all he wanted but he wanted Salvatore’s attentions just as badly as Salvatore wanted to give them to him. “Tell me why the vampires were guarding you. Does it have something to do with you claiming to be my equal?”
“You have your secrets. I have mine.” Salvatore nibbled at Destin’s pulse. “I want you to take me home after I learn to control this.” In this statement he was unyielding. He would do whatever he could to get back to Earth. His Ravyns were probably making themselves sick with worry. He couldn’t feel the bond between them at all.
“I can’t promise that. How about I promise to discuss it with you then? Until then, enjoy Underhill and its delights.” Destin extricated himself from Salvatore’s grip.
The Demon Prince’s body was building again. The brief respite at the thought of harming Destin had passed now that he knew Destin was all right. His thoughts were getting hazy and simpler, more animal. He tried to reply to Destiny’s statement, tried to focus on their conversation, but instead, his mind was focusing on what his body demanded.
“Need.” He groaned, gripping the tip of his now-rock-hard erection and pumping his fist. A drop of pre-cum oozed from the slit, and he watched in fascination as Destin leaned down and lapped at the crown. This caused another burst of fluid to erupt from the tip, and Destin obligingly suckled that away as well. The other Salvatore went crazy, pushing against the bonds of self-control that Salvatore had erected to pull himself away from Destin the moment before.
“Delicious. Just as I knew you would be.” Destin pressed a kiss to the head of Salvatore’s cock and disappeared. Salvatore screamed.
Chapter Seven
Mar and Quis were available to Salvatore at any moment of the day. And they were never slow in coming to Salvatore’s side when the urge to fuck struck him. It struck him often during those first two weeks. Sometimes they came to him alone, but oftentimes they’d come to him in pairs to stave off the worst of the hunger. He’d learned to gorge himself on the emotions that they gave to him. Admiration, enjoyment, and, most of all, lust. Destin had assigned others to his bed as well. Some were trained to expand his sexual horizons in ways he would’ve been very uncomfortable with in his other life.
The longer he spent in Underhill, the less that life outside of it seemed to be real. It was like anything outside Underhill was a dream and this was his only reality. Only the thoughts of his Ravyns kept him from slipping into the complete, lust-filled haze that he’d grown accustomed to. However, no matter how many people he slept with or how many ways he’d learned to please men, he was never truly satisfied. No matter how good the orgasm or how many times he came, he craved Destiny. He and his other self were more on the same page now, no longer fighting for control but cooperating for their mutual satiation. They didn’t always agree, but they agreed on one thing always. Destiny was theirs and he would be in their bed soon.
“I think I want to try and explore the palace today.” Salvatore spoke to Quis, whose blond head was currently bobbing up and down on his hard erection.
“Are you sure that’s wise, my lord?” Quis asked with his mouth full of Salvatore. At least that’s what Salvatore thought he said. He couldn’t be sure because the words were garbled. The whole lot of them had taken to calling him “my lord” for some odd reason. Though he didn’t understand the exact logistics of how the court perceived him, in his conversations with Mar the fae had stated that he was treated like nobility for several reasons. Salvatore was kept in luxurious suites, turned by the King himself, and had all the courtiers warned off popping his backside cherry, therefore he must be a very important fae. Salvatore didn’t get it, but whatever.
The cautionary note in his tone was probably due to what had happened the last time Salvatore had decided to venture beyond his bedchamber of glass and plush fabric. He’d taken three of the fae palace guards right outside in the hallway. One of them had apparently been fantasizing to pass the shift a little faster and Salvatore had picked it up. The hunger had swamped him, and he’d been the center of attention in yet another orgy courtesy of the curse that Destin had saddled him with. Salvatore couldn’t be angry with him over it because it had, after all, saved his life, but the primitive hungers were
a pain in the ass to control. It didn’t matter to him now, though. He was just biding his time. He’d make Destin pay for every lost second of sanity with an equal number of strokes into his hot cavern. His body jumped at the thought. He couldn’t wait.
“I think I’m ready. Ride me. I want to finish so that we can be on our way.” Quis crawled up his body like he had no joints. He was lean and built similarly to Destiny, but he moved even more gracefully if that were possible.
“As you wish, my lord.”
* * * *
The palace of Underhill was a massive structure of stone and fine gems. It was a nerd’s wet dream and looked exactly like something that would come out of a Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. It wasn’t just the palace that was built like that. To a lesser degree, the town also shone with light from its own variety of fine gems inlaid in the masonry. The view from the center window on the royal family hall was magnificent.
Salvatore admired the finery of the work and was inexplicably drawn to the shimmering city that Destin ruled. It reminded him a little of where Salvatore had grown up in Demontia. Pandemonium was a less shiny version of this realm. It made him miss it and his Ravyns all the more.
“You seem sad,” Mar said delicately, coming to stand beside Salvatore as he looked out the window.
“Just thinking about home,” Salvatore offered, sighing. He wondered what his Ravyns were doing right now. Mar put a hand on his shoulder.
“I know it’s difficult for you being here, my lord.” They’d become somewhat friends after the ordeals they’d gone through together with his transition.
“I have people who are worried about me over there. I need to tell them I’m okay. I need to get home,” Salvatore said in frustration.
“Most people forget where home was when they come here,” Mar said. “You surprise us. You’re not the usual convert to say the least. You’re a very powerful fae, or you will be. Something inside you already had ancient magick inside it. Becoming a fae just unlocked the floodgate.”
