by Salem Cross
“Because the god I served dabbled in it often enough that I can sense it in any form it takes. Whoever is casting this dark magic is trying to conceal evidence of it, which is why none of you can feel it. But I can still sense its presence,” he informed me before turning to the others. “Rylan is right. We should head south tomorrow and fan out. When we get closer to the source of all this trouble, we should be able to find who is casting it.”
“Fine. Now that we know what is going on and have a plan, I am going out to explore the area nearby. Give me that necklace, Jasmine,” Camille said. It was obvious she was done with the conversation.
“You do not need it anymore,” Jasmine assured her.
The room stilled. Camille’s eyes narrowed on her. “Why not?”
“Because with Mae’s power in you, you have protection against—” Jasmine glanced at Nikolas. “—the toxins that trigger the madness.”
“She planted something in my mind?” Camille’s sharp shriek sent chills down my spine. “That child is an abomination we should not allow to exist. She has violated me by tampering with my mind. This must be some sort of trap. Are you looking to control me, young god? Do you not see how she has manipulated you, Arthur?” Camille demanded, turning to Arthur. “You have been around her too long. She has pulled the wool over your eyes!”
“How did Mae tamper with your mind?” Gabriel asked curiously as he turned to Camille.
She placed her hands on her hips and said, “She attacked us with her power when we all lost our minds. She was able to snap us out of our killing spree.” She turned back to me. “What else can you do, Mae? Will we fall under the spell that you have cast over these three?” She waved her hands towards Rylan, Arthur, and Jasmine. “Will you ask us to jump, and will we be forced to ask you how high?”
“Her very existence is dangerous to everyone in this world,” Nikolas added. “We are all insane to be sitting here with her talking about our plans as if she is someone to be trusted or an ally.”
Devon and Camille nodded in agreement.
“Nikolas, until there is proof that Mae is a threat, we will focus on the problem at hand,” Ashe responded with a scowl towards the ancient Guardian.
“Tomorrow, we should split up,” Rylan snapped with annoyance as he changed the direction of the conversation.
From his expression, it was quite clear he was fed up with everyone’s prejudice against me. Listening to everyone talk about me as if I was the evil one unnerved me. This was the danger Rylan, Arthur, and Jasmine had been worried about. If they all turned on me, my three Guardians wouldn’t stand a chance. While I didn’t disagree with them that I was dangerous, I wasn’t sure if I would classify myself as evil.
“Now that you all either have the necklaces or have been touched by Mae’s power,” Rylan continued, “you are protected from the toxin in the air. It will be safer to travel in groups, which will allow us to cover more ground. A few of us should travel south. The rest of us need to spread out and remove the threats within these woods. There is a pack of werewolves that roam these woods during the day that need to be eliminated. After seeing the Kraken and mermaids, I am sure there are other things in these woods that should not be here.”
“I will lead a group of us south,” Jasmine offered.
“I will take a few Guardians, and we will check for threats in the woods,” Arthur offered.
The Guardians began splitting up into groups, talking amongst themselves as they made plans for the next day. I stood there and watched them, feeling like the odd one out. I was sure that if I stepped forward to join one of the groups, I would be greeted with hostility. So, instead of interrupting progress, I left the room. As I crossed the family room, I looked over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t needed. No one seemed to notice my departure except for Nikolas, who was watching me intently.
I made my way outside to the second level deck. There I walked over to the railing and stared out into the woods. The tension coiled in my gut made my stomach hurt. My head was beginning to throb with the makings of a headache, and my power pulsed under my skin, causing it to feel too tight.
Out in the distance, the mountains were silhouetted in the dim moonlight. The sound of leaves rustling in the slight breeze was soothing. The air was crisp and much cooler than it had been. Fall was coming, and soon the leaves would be changing colors. Fall was my favorite time of year. In the last few years, my enjoyment of anything had diminished greatly, but my love of autumn had lingered.
I closed my eyes and tilted my face up to the breeze, letting it wash over me. I hoped it would wash away the anxiety and dejection that soiled my mood. This was going to be difficult living with people who hated me. It wasn’t like I couldn’t empathize with them. The gods had created and used the Guardians for all their dirty deeds. To have your creators curse you … that would leave me bitter, too.
It wasn’t just their hatred and mistrust that got to me. It was the fact that I knew their fears were justified. I didn’t know what I was capable of, and that made me dangerous. My power was strong, and it was growing stronger. Even if I was able to gain control now, who knew how long that control would last as I grew stronger?
Camille had every right to be alarmed that my power lingered in her body. While Arthur and Jasmine were excited and pleased that I had erected some type of shield in their mind, who knew what else my power had done to them? Were there going to be any negative effects? Rylan ingested my blood regularly. What was going to happen to him? Were we being too lax about the effects my power could have?
“Mae.”
I turned at the sound of my name and found Devon standing by the door. I had been so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t heard the glass door sliding open. I made a mental note not to be so oblivious about my surroundings. Especially when there were people here who would kill me without a second thought.
“Hey, Devon, is everything okay?”
It was a struggle to keep my voice light. I wanted to be alone. The cautious way he approached me made my back stiffen. Would he try to kill me when Rylan was just inside? Behind him I saw movement. Jasmine crossed by the sliding glass door. For just a moment we made eye contact. She glanced at Devon then back at me. Her nod let me know she was nearby before she disappeared out of sight. I relaxed.
“Okay? I suppose for now you could say things have died down,” he said after a moment. He studied my face with an amused expression. “You know, it is a great feat that you are able to cause Guardians to get riled up. Anger and disgust are not traits of an unmated Guardian.”
I sighed and looked away from the warrior as I said, “If I could turn it off so you all wouldn’t be affected, I would. I know it must be disconcerting.”
“I am not sure if any of us would appreciate knowing you could do both; turn off and on our emotions at will,” Devon said with a sour expression.
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I remained silent. For a while, neither one of us said anything. I was sure Devon’s presence was not a coincidence, so I waited for him to say what he needed to say. Another few minutes passed before finally, Devon spoke.
“I apologize for assuming you were my other half earlier. It was such a shock to feel. I had been so certain…”
I could hear the longing in his voice. When I looked at him his expression was blank. I turned my whole body to face him. Where was this conversation going?
When I didn’t say anything, Devon continued, “Rylan and I have quite a long history together. Our friendship… or what Guardians consider a friendship under our circumstances, has gone back for many centuries. We do business together, we have ruled over small kingdoms together and we have fought alongside each other in many battles. I know Rylan’s mind almost as well as I know mine. He is a good man, Mae.”
He was watching my face closely.
“You should know that Rylan deserves better than you. I suppose if this union is a blessing for anyone, it would be a blessing for you. Rylan takes his duties v
ery seriously. I am sure he will tend to whatever malicious and evil whim you can dream of. Poor soul… You know, everything he does, there is a purpose to it. He has always been a Guardian that is willing to make hard decisions based on what is good for our people, not just himself. To know that fate has dealt him this hand, to give him an abomination as a mate, is appalling.
“Now that I see you are not mine, I am thankful. Whatever mind tricks you can cast, whatever curse you have placed upon his heart know that I will always despise you for it. A Guardian cannot resist his mate but to believe he actually loves you is beyond me. Knowing what you are, I do not understand how he cannot loathe the very ground you walk on. If it would not kill him, I would take you out of his life. It pains me to see him tethered to such a revolting creature as yourself.”
Devon shook his head, obviously perplexed. I stared at him incredulously before laughing out loud. He scowled at me.
“I am failing to see the amusement here.”
I wiped the tears from my eyes and stifled the laughter that wanted to continue. When I had found my breath, I looked him straight in the eye and said, “For you to think I would care how you felt about my relationship with Rylan is absolutely hilarious. I question a friendship where one friend would go behind the other’s back to insult their mate. I’m not sure how good of a friend that makes you so please forgive me if I disregard anything you say.”
Devon scowled.
“I came out to warn you that I will be watching you, Mae,” he growled. “Nothing you do will go unnoticed. Rylan deserves to have someone watching his back while he dances with a snake.”
“Do whatever you want,” I said with a shrug. “Just as long as you help us stop whatever is going on here I really don’t care what you do. Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m exhausted. Good night.”
Devon’s scowl deepened as I gave him the sweetest smile that I could muster. I turned and headed back inside.
Inside, I could hear voices coming from somewhere in the house, but I didn’t follow the noise. Instead, I was able to sneak up to my bedroom without running into anyone. I shut the door with a sigh and trudged over to the bed. At this point, all I wanted to do was collapse and let sleep sweep away the stress of the day.
Before I made it halfway to the bed, the bedroom door opened and I turned to find Rylan stepping into the room. My heart swelled at the sight of him. Though his expression gave nothing away, through our connection I could feel his anxiety swirling around in me. I guess sleep wasn’t on the cards for me right now.
I walked the rest of the distance over to the bed, turned to face Rylan, and sat down. With a rueful smile, I patted the space next to me. He crossed the distance between us with long strides. As he sat down, he let out a long sigh that mirrored the one I had let out a few moments ago.
“You smell of Devon,” Rylan stated, a frown tugging down the corner of his lips.
“Yeah, your friend decided to come out and tell me how terrible of a mate I am for existing. He wanted to tell me how much he respects you and that you deserved better,” I said rolling my eyes. “Great guy, I can’t wait to get to know him better.”
Rylan’s eyebrows rose in surprise, and his handsome teal eyes widened. God, how I loved those eyes. His brows came crashing together in anger once he got over his initial shock. Before he could say anything I continued,
“As if I needed to be told how great you are,” I continued with a roll of my eyes. “You took three daggers in the back today to save my life. Thank you for that but don’t do it again. You scared the crap out of me.”
Rylan took my hand and brought it to his lips. The contact with my other half was soothing after a long day. I had a feeling until this was all over, every day was going to feel longer and longer.
“I will step in front of anything that would harm you Mae. You do not need to thank me. I will do anything to keep you safe. When will you learn that you are the most important thing in the world to me?” He sighed and asked, “Are you ok otherwise? I cannot imagine how you must feel after dealing with the others. Guardians can be… intimidating.”
I chuckled.
“Yeah, having people hate me as much as they do is a little disconcerting but I’m ok. I can handle it. Is everyone else who’s coming going to be like that?”
Rylan shook his head.
“No.”
I sighed in relief and leaned my head on his shoulder. He took my left hand and stared down at the ring. I could feel a wave of happiness through our bond as he stared down at it. I smiled knowing how much it made him happy to see it there.
“I do have something I should share with you so you are not taken off guard…” Rylan hedged. I sat straight up and looked at him curiously. “The group coming tomorrow… it consists of my parents.”
My whole body went stiff. Rylan’s parents were coming tomorrow? My stomach dropped. What were they going to think of me? They had been around during the time of the gods, so I was sure they were going to have some strong opinions of my lineage. Would they hate me like the others? Would they demand that Rylan leave me or would they stop talking to Rylan because of me?
Rylan bit my index finger on the hand that he held, and I yelped in surprise as I was pulled from my panicky thoughts.
“Relax, they will love you.”
“You don’t know that. You have said you hadn’t told them about what I am and what I can do. Once they see me in action, they’ll freak out just like everyone else. They’ll probably hate me more than Nikolas does.”
At the sound of Nikolas’s name, Rylan’s face darkened. His brows crashed together, he clenched his jaw, and his whole body tensed. His hold on my hand became almost painful.
“You will keep away from Nikolas,” he told me severely. “Arthur was wrong to ask him to come. He may have the experience and know-how to stop someone powerful enough to bring the gods back, but he will kill you in a heartbeat the moment he gets a chance. His attempt on your life today will not be forgotten. When this is over, I will kill him.”
I bit my bottom lip, not sure what to say. Nikolas was a stone-cold killer. I was sure there was nothing that would stop that Guardian from doing whatever he wanted. Death clung to him like a second layer of skin. While I was sure Rylan could hold his own just fine, I knew my mate had a heart and conscience. Nikolas did not and that might spell disaster for Rylan. Instead of responding, I only nodded, hoping that once this was over we would forget about Nikolas. Deep down, though, I had a feeling Nikolas would never forget about me.
Chapter Seventeen
Rylan
The next morning I awoke to Mae’s lips brushing up against my skin. She trailed sweet, soft kisses down my neck while her hand slid down my chest. The scent of her arousal hung in the air, pulling me from the last little bit of sleep that clung to me. A growl built in my chest, and I heard her soft giggle as she moved beside me. At the same time I opened my eyes, Mae removed the sheets that lay across me. Her eyes met mine and sparkled with mischief. She reached down and slipped my morning erection through the slit in the pajama bottoms I wore. With a coy smile, she moved between my legs and wrapped her lips around me.
The way she slowly took me all the way into her mouth drew a moan from my lips. When she came back up, just as slowly as she descended, her tongue swirled around the tip of my erection before she drew me further into her mouth. I could feel myself hitting the back of her throat. The warmth from her mouth and her tongue dancing up and down my shaft triggered a burst of colors to erupt from behind my eyelids. My hips jerked as she sucked hard.
I looked down to find Mae almost giddy with excitement as she took me down her throat. Naked, she crouched on her hands and knees in between my legs. Her eyes twinkled up at me as she continued to gratify me. My fingers dug into her curly mass of hair, burying themselves in the silky strands.
She reached up and cupped my balls, massaging them gently. She tugged and caressed. That, along with the way her mouth and tongue worked in unison to str
oke and suck me, had me teetering on the verge of ecstasy. Through hooded eyes, I noticed her other hand was in between her legs. Her movements were frantic.
Was there anything hotter than watching your mate get off by pleasuring you? I was sure there was not.
Watching Mae pleasuring herself sent me over the edge. Just as I came, I watched as Mae’s eyes closed, and her body tensed before it shuddered as her orgasm chased mine. Her power rushed through me, sending my mind and body reeling. She held me in her mouth while her body convulsed, drinking me in and leaving nothing behind. Watching her in the throes of her orgasm prolonged mine. The pleasure she invoked was indescribable.
Before her orgasm subsided I yanked her upwards onto the bed. I twisted around until I was crouched between her legs while she lay on her back, staring up at me in surprise. She was slightly breathless. Her body quivered with aftershocks. I looked down between her legs to find her arousal dripping from between her folds. She was so wet, so aroused… all from pleasuring me. My eyes rose to meet hers. A small smug smile played around the corner of her lips.
Keeping my eyes on her, I reached down and with two fingers I reached past her wet folds into her quivering core. Her body clenched around me. She closed her eyes as she groaned. I grinned and withdrew my fingers. Grabbing both of her legs I hiked them up over my shoulders and without any other preamble, I thrust into her with my still very hard cock.
She cried out and arched her chest upwards, showing off her wonderful breasts. Mae tried to move but in this position, I had all the power. I looked down at her to find her looking back up at me, her mouth slightly opened as she panted.
Take me hard and fast. Her voice was husky in my head.
The command caused me to grow harder. Whatever she wanted, she could have. I pulled back out, the tip of my dick just barely sitting within her entrance. Then I slammed hard back into her. She hissed between clenched teeth. I began to move with fast, deep thrusts that pulled out nearly completely before sliding all the way back in. The feeling was magical. All the pent-up energy from yesterday came leaking out with each thrust. All the worry, anger, and fear slipped away.
