by Brenda Trim
“Damn, bro. Is that a drink or a nipple?” Bhric asked as he accepted the glass from their waitress, number five by his count. “You may have a point, though. The realm wouldna be the same withoot Elsie and the other females. They’ve made our group a family.”
“I didn’t realize we were having a drinking contest, but maybe you should slow your roll,” Rhett drawled as he relaxed in his chair.
“Fuck off. Doona start with me, too. I can handle my liquor,” Bhric spat.
“Chill motherfucker. I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that the night is young and I don’t want to carry your drunk ass home.” Rhett retorted with an insouciant grin.
Bhric appreciated that Rhett kept his sense of humor and rarely got bent out of shape over stupid shit.
“Anyway, I’m surprised you say that about the females. I mean, weren’t you guys already a family? Half of you are related,” the fire demon conveyed.
Bhric finished another drink then ordered a double. “Aye, we were always a family, but there was distance at Zeum. We fought skirm or patrolled together, but we weren’t exactly close. We kept private matters to ourselves, and dealt with them, or not,” Bhric explained, and again, was reminded of the big secret eating at his insides.
Rhett waggled his eyebrows with a smile. “What kind of private matters? Anything about your sister?”
“I’ve told you no’ to ask me aboot her. Trust me, Dark Warrior secrets are never anything pleasant,” Bhric shared, thinking about the horrors their group had faced.
Bhric thought Gerrick had been through some shit when he described losing his first mate, but then he learned about Jace’s sexual slavery and Kyran’s deviance that led to the unfortunate death of an innocent female. The hits continued with Rhys’s torment in hell, and, most recently, Santiago going rogue.
They wouldn’t have made it through their trials without the females and their support. And, thank the Goddess that it hadn’t involved endless nights of group hugs and personal disclosures. That shit gave Bhric the hives. Regardless, the females proved time and again the power of love and acceptance.
“You just need to accept that your sister is a sexy little vamp,” Rhett informed Bhric, interrupting his thoughts.
Bhric’s fingers curled around his lowball. “You have a serious death wish, Glowworm. Speaking of, how did you camouflage yourself from the humans when you went to Earth?” he asked as he looked at the radiance of the male’s skin. There was no mistaking that Rhett wasn’t human.
Rhett held up an arm, and Bhric noted the iridescence under the bar’s dim lighting. Bhric recalled the way Rhett’s skin glowed during combat, and how his orange eyes darkened to red with his rage. Without battle-lust fueling him, Rhett’s skin was translucent, and the fire that flowed through his veins could be seen.
Bhric believed Rhett bled fire until a skirm took a chunk out of his arm during a fight and crimson liquid flowed from the wound. Granted, it was bubbling and boiling, but it was blood, nonetheless.
“My eyes were easy enough to hide with sunglasses or colored contacts. Cailyn gave me makeup that did a great job of camouflaging my skin, but that shit took forever to apply if I went to a human bar. For the most part, I stuck to realm establishments. Speaking of which, Pedro and Francisco said you’re still banned from Old Absinthe House,” Rhett shared with a laugh.
“I canna believe they’re still pissed. I remember that siren was a sexy lass. Och, her voice was irresistible,” Bhric murmured with a shudder as he recalled how her words enthralled him. “And here I had planned a trip to good ole NOLA in the spring. Oh, well, ‘tis their loss?” Bhric snarked.
Bhric didn’t understand why some held grudges. It was one insignificant fight, and he paid for the damages to their property.
Bhric’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Grumbling, he pulled it out, and when he saw who it was, he slammed the device on the table. Fuck that female and her delusions. Pasha was a liar, not to mention, blackmailing him. Damn if he’d elevate her standing in the vampire community. He was never going to agree to mate her.
He’d slept with her, but Pasha wasn’t his Fated Mate. He refused to mate with anyone but his Fated. He didn’t care what she claimed.
“Whoa, buddy. What did the phone ever do to you?” Rhett asked.
“Nothing,” he replied and motioned for the waitress. “Another Macallan, now.”
“You sure about that, hun? You’ve had a lot more than your usual,” the waitress pointed out, as if he needed, or wanted, her opinion.
A lecture was the last fucking thing he needed after the text he’d received. “Doona question me, witch! I’m a fucking Vampire Prince,” he growled then shoved the female towards the bar.
“Touch me one more time and Charlie will kick your princely ass out of here. Keep an eye on your friend,” she snapped towards Rhett, who nodded his agreement.
“I don’t know what crawled up your ass, but you need to ditch it. Rack ‘em,” Rhett demanded as he grabbed his pool stick, glaring at Bhric.
“There’s not a fucking thing up my ass, except that female’s tongue later,” he replied as he pointed to a hot shifter at their table and winked.
“Is tossed salad on the menu?” Rhett asked one of the females in their group.
“Mmmm, for you? Definitely, baby. And, I promise to be thorough,” the shifter purred and slid her tongue across her lips seductively.
Bhric stood and stumbled into Rhett who gave him a sideways glance. “I like a female who takes pride in her work,” Bhric replied and took a couple of unsteady steps then slung his arm around the leggy blonde. They were making eyes all night, and his dick was itching for action. Leaning toward her, he whispered, “How ‘bout you, darlin’? Are you as talented as your friend here?”
She tittered and smiled up at him with adoring eyes. Suddenly, his head flew forward, carrying his unsteady body with it. As he plowed onto the pool table and rolled across the top, he realized he’d been hit. The power behind the force told him a male mustered up the balls to strike him. Dickhead was going to regret that decision.
He landed on his feet, but staggered before gaining his balance. “You assed out motherfucker,” Bhric snarled.
“Stay away from my sister, douchebag. She’s not going to be another conquest for your overinflated ego,” the male demanded.
“Seems to me, that’s her choice,” Bhric retorted.
A fist flew his way, and he snatched his pool cue and swung, breaking it over the male’s back. As the female shouted to her brother to stop, Bhric sensed Breslin enter the establishment. He didn’t have to turn his head to know his twin was nearby. He always felt her presence.
“You stupid arseholes,” Breslin shouted as she stepped in between him and the shifter. “What the hell are you doing, Bhric?”
“I was playing a game of pool and enjoying the company of these fine females,” Bhric replied, and swung an arm around his sister’s shoulder.
Breslin’s amber eyes burned with the flame that lived in her veins. She was pissed off, and Bhric wondered how she knew where to find him.
“He’s trying to get his salad tossed. You wouldn’t be interested, would you?” Rhett added with a wink.
Breslin’s head jerked Rhett’s way, her auburn hair fanning with the movement. A flame danced on her palm, and she slapped Rhett across the face, holding it on his flesh for several seconds. Bhric waited for the smell of burning flesh, but Rhett’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he groaned.
“Damn, Princess, I like your version of foreplay. Is that a yes?” The fire demon was playing with fire, literally, and had a death wish.
Charlie, the owner of the bar, stomped towards their small crowd, shotgun in hand. No doubt loaded with a silver buckshot, the only bullet that would injure a supernatural.
“Enough of this shit. Get out of my bar and don’t come back until you know how to handle your liquor,” he shouted, his six-two frame taking a stance between Bhric and the agitated brother.<
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“You’re walking a tightrope, brathair, and when you fall, it isna going to be pretty. I doona know what’s going on with you, but you need to get your act together. And, you,” Breslin snarled at Rhett, pointing a finger to his chest, “doona call me again. I’m not Bhric’s babysitter. If this shite happens again, I’m holding you personally responsible.” And with that, Breslin turned and stormed out of the bar without another word.
“I think I’m love,” Rhett sighed as he watched Breslin walk out.
“Yeah, she likes you, too, you fucking nark. What were you thinking, calling her?” Bhric asked as they headed towards the exit. He heard the female’s brother threaten his retreating back but ignored him. “This should cover any damages,” he said to Charlie and threw a wad of cash on the bar as they left.
“I thought she’d come in and save the day, then I could take her back to Zeum, and save her,” Rhett confessed as they stumbled out the door and onto the sidewalk.
The night had gone from bad to worse. The fight hadn’t released Bhric’s tension. He needed to kill a skirm or fuck a female. On second thought, he’d stick with the skirm. Those demon-spawn needed to die, and sex was what landed him in his current mess. A female was the last thing he needed.
Chapter Twelve
“I told you douche-dicks this would work,” Nate telepathically messaged to their group. Angus would have laughed but was intent on finishing the job.
“Don’t be such a prole,” Lorne snarled back.
“Bet you are glad he thought of it,” Blaine insisted. “Otherwise that filthy slime would be all over your talons.”
Angus had to admit it was genius of Nate to use runes to adhere scales to their claws, front and hind legs. Not that the acidic blood would have hurt them, but it made cleanup much easier.
This mess was a far cry from the intimate moments he shared with Keira a few hours ago. More than anything he wanted to be back in his bedroom, sinking into her moist heat.
“Here you go, wankers. The return of your brethren,” Blaine snarled as he heaved the carcass to their enemies below. As bits of flesh fell from the dead ogres and landed on stunned Buggane, Blaine’s dragon blasted a sheet of fire towards the ground.
“Not exactly the approach I had in mind, but that will work,” Angus conceded as he took in the scene.
His talons tightened around the burden in his grip. Fifty feet outside the tree line the ground went from lush and fertile to sparse and barren. He recalled the serene meadow that used to fill the location. The ache in his chest twisted, and the loss hurt on a visceral level.
Unut was more advanced than he’d expected. He envisioned Akilam and his ilk living in trash heaps. Mack’s comparison to an ancient Mayan city, crude and primitive, was apt. There was a main structure made of rock with dozens of other smaller buildings scattered around it. The walls surrounding the city of Osiris were high in places, but no deterrent to a dragon. He wondered why they even had walls, given that their enemy could fly.
A foghorn echoed below. Angus noted the sound came from the largest Buggane he’d seen. “That’s Akilam. No doubt he just realized the rumors of your return are true,” Legette replied in his head. Akilam met Angus’s gaze, and the male’s jaw dropped. Yeah, his first in command nailed it. The leader of the Buggane wasn’t expecting a visit from the King of Khoth.
“I remember that fucker. He’s mine,” Kyran snarled from atop Angus’s back. He heard the slide of metal screech behind his ears and knew Kyran was itching to fight. Angus was determined to protect Kyran as much as possible. Not only would Zander be pissed if something happened to his brother, but Mack would have his balls, and he preferred they remain attached.
Angus had watched Kyran battle many times and knew he was a vicious warrior, but the hulking creature could make lunch out of him with one bite. If the enormous tusks didn’t dice him in halves, the claws would.
“We’re on a mission. Stay focused. No one engages until we are done returning their dead,” Angus ordered.
“Leave me here,” Kyran pleaded. “I will work my way to that putrid fuck and slice his green flesh from his body, bit by bit.”
“Nay, Kyran. I willna risk–" A diamond-tipped arrow pierced Angus’s left wing, cutting off his words.
Angus was away from Khoth too long and forgot the skill of the Buggane. He’d become complacent after centuries of facing demons and skirm, and not receiving any major injury. Buggane were skilled warriors possessing weapons capable of incapacitating dragons, and Angus had best step up his game if he expected a victory.
“Legette, your king needs you,” Kyran shouted as they plummeted to the ground.
Unable to control their trajectory, Angus scrambled for a way to save Kyran significant injury. Flapping was futile. They were going to land in the middle of the compound, and the creatures were aware of it, if their bellows were any indication.
“Jump off before I hit the ground. I canna steer us clear, so we will be landing in the middle of the action. It seems you may get your wish, after all,” Angus relayed to Kyran.
Kyran’s knees left Angus’s side, and he felt the vampire balancing on his back. Angus extended his wings, slowing their momentum as much as possible, and heard Kyran’s war cry before he jumped.
Angus pulled his wings close to avoid more injury, and black dirt shot in every direction as his dragon crashed to the ground, leaving a ten-foot furrow in his wake. A heavy weight slammed into him, and he sailed to the right. The hit was disorienting, but he quickly flipped to all fours before the Buggane could strike again.
Angus called up his fire and let a torrent loose, incinerating the toxic ogre on the spot. An area of green caught his eye and Angus glanced to see grass sprouting on the side of the bloody furrow his body left in its wake. The urge to shed more to help heal the land hit hard. He wanted to see his realm whole again, but sacrificing himself wasn’t the answer.
Kyran came into view and disrupted his thoughts. Buggane surrounded the vampire, but he was not dismayed. “Mack is going to be pissed she missed this. Is she above you on the killboard, yet?”
Kyran laughed as he sliced off the leg of a Buggane. “This will put me ahead of her, but none of us will ever catch up to Gerrick.”
No, Angus thought, no one would catch up to the surly warrior. He’d had a single-minded focus for centuries to eradicate every archdemon and skirm on the planet. Shae made him smile again, but the reason for the scar on his face would always make him ruthless. He would never forgive the archdemons for the pain he suffered because of their evil ways.
Angus roared when a boulder the size of a small car careened into his side. He bellowed a stream of fire, and nearby Buggane took cover behind the stone huts. They should be afraid of him, he thought. That’s what happened when you fucked with the king. Angus carried the flame of Khoth in his chest, and it wasn’t your average dragon fire.
Angus made his way to Kyran’s side, wanting to protect his friend. His wing was damaged and he needed to shift and heal, but couldn’t while they were surrounded.
“Och, nice of you to join me,” Kyran said with a smile as he ducked a meaty fist. Angus kicked the Buggane with his hind leg and the creature’s chest caved in, spilling acidic blood to the ground.
“How’s that?” Angus relayed to the Vampire Prince.
“Nice blow. Lotta force behind that fat arse of yours,” Kyran joked before swinging his sword, beheading the creature.
Several dragons landed, forming a semi-circle around Angus and Kyran. Legette tipped his head to Angus, and all waited for instruction. Every cell in his body urged him to eliminate as many as they could, but logic told him they had limited time, and they still needed to cleanse Heqet and consecrate the ground. Additionally, Buggane outnumbered the Cuelebre, several of which were injured, and he wouldn’t risk his dragon’s lives for revenge. There would be another day for that.
“Eliminate those around us and then we finish our task. The rest will have to wait. An
d, I need to shift and heal this wing before we leave,” Angus instructed before he used a talon to tear through flesh and sinew.
Kyran sprang and used Angus’s hind leg as a platform to jump onto the back of a Buggane. The vampire’s blade sliced through the thick neck, and another head rolled across the ground.
Legette and the dragons eliminated those around them. Angus felt Kyran’s reluctance to retreat, but Angus reminded him they needed to return to their mates ASAP. Akilam wouldn’t sit patiently for long, and Angus worried he would attack the castle.
He concentrated on his shift but found it difficult to reach his center so he could allow the change to human form. It made him wonder if the Buggane had altered their diamond-tipped arrows to cause more damage to the dragons.
Pain lanced his system and Angus struggled for several minutes before the shift took over. He waited a few moments for the healing to begin then returned to dragon form, taking to the skies. Urgency spurred him on. There were at least three more trips to make to Heqet, and then he needed to consecrate the ground. He needed the help of the medicine males to do that.
“Legette, have the Mundunugu at the site and ready to go as soon as we are done. I doona want to be gone from Keira any longer,” Angus admitted as thoughts of the female ran through his head. He needed to get back and make sure she was safe.
Cyril’s powers would alert him Angus was away from her. He may as well give Cyril an engraved invitation to kidnap her again. Angus wasn’t naive enough to think the male had given up his vendetta against him.
Keira watched Mack pace her bedroom, wondering if she’d been wrong in her assessment of the female. She appreciated the snark and sarcasm, but the female had a violent side that was downright terrifying.
Mack’s slender frame ate up the stone floor. “I hate not being there with Kyran. He might need my help. If those Buggane touch one hair on his head, I’ll slaughter the whole fucking lot,” she snapped and looked to Keira.
