Soleria lets loose another scream, jerking my attention back to her.
We’re less than fifty-feet away from the shield. I was already so close to her and hadn’t even realized it.
She’s on her fucking knees, clutching at her stomach, even as one hand bangs against the shield in her rage. She wants to come out here, command these assholes to halt.
More than that, I can see in her light-blue-on-black eyes with their swirling ribbons of red that she wants to annihilate anyone that makes me bleed.
Eyes on hers, I decapitate the male that came for my head.
Both horror and relief war in her expression.
A few simple mental commands and another round of males fall at my feet.
Fall in her honor, whether she wants their deaths or not.
The realm shakes once more, a rumble that builds quicker than we can prepare for. As we struggle to regain our footing, a massive black chariot flies overhead.
The King of Renentr.
Luckily for his unmated ass, he must’ve arrived after Sol was already in the shield. One look at how calm he is and I know he isn’t being affected by her scent.
Which is more than I can say for his missing brother Zex.
The quaking stops for a moment, giving us a moment of false reprieve.
Then, the ground is torn open, a crack that lets loose a creature we haven’t seen in ages.
Fifteen feet of pure animal arrives in a burst of sharp teeth and drooling fangs. Three large heads snap at the demons beneath its black feet, six reddish-bronze eyes narrowed in rabid fury.
Cerberus.
The hound of Hades.
The other hell-king arrives right behind his guard dog in a whirl of shimmering bronze and black. With a simple snap of his fingers, Hades sends Cerberus towards the far reaches of the fight.
“Remind him I have to kill most of them!” I command over the noise.
Hades barely spares me a glance, his bearing even more arrogant now that he’s in his armor. “You’re up to one-thousand-seven-hundred-and-thirty-two. Relax.”
Shit. They’re all truly counting, aren’t they?
Slamming the ends of my short swords together, I will them to morph into my secondary weapon. The Karvite becomes momentarily fluid, uniting, even as the blades elongate to three feet on each side.
Spinning the double sword in circles, I flash over to the shield, standing before Soleria.
“Ian!” she cries out, breaking my fucking heart with that tone. “Please! Stop killing them! This is all my fault!”
It is her fault for putting off her decision, for waiting ’til these symptoms hit her.
I want to turn to her, let her know I heard her, but a group of demons break through the barrier of dead bodies scattered for yards before the shield, weapons drawn in sync.
My eyes trail over the black-and-red armor, as well as the full-red armor of the rebels.
Literally hundreds-of-thousands-of-years fighting each other, and this was all it took to finally unite the two factions.
Go fucking figure.
Stares unfocused, they roar as they run towards me, honestly believing they stand a chance against me.
Me. A fourteen-millenia-old primal god.
Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I send my blades flying once more, this time aiming for their midsections.
It won’t kill them. Not right away. If they’re lucky, they’ll survive regrowing the lower halves of their bodies before the blood loss truly ends them.
“You can thank your queen for the fact you still live,” I tell the half-bodies twitching at my feet.
“Ian!”
I can’t tell if that’s indignation or plain agony in my female’s voice.
Staring at her over my shoulder, I take a second to place my hand on the shield.
Trembling, she stares up at me from her spot on the floor, demon-markings writhing along her cheeks. Tears spill from her eyes as she takes in the gaping wound on the back of my neck—the mating mark I know isn’t hidden any longer. “Do you get it now?”
The small space between her brows scrunches and all I want to do is dive into that shield and kiss her. “I do. I get it. Please, just stop killing them and come in here!”
I’d like nothing more. “I can’t. Not yet. You started this Sol, now I have to finish it.”
“Ian, no!”
But I’m already gone, vaulting over the wall of dead bodies to land back in the center of this fight. Allowing my vision to switch again, I take down one male after another, hearing the cries of many females following.
These males might not be mated, but they still have females that love them. Females that are losing them today because they wanted to be between my R’ma’s legs more than they valued their own lives.
A male comes up on my left side, taking advantage of a temporary distraction. When I feel his blade slide past a small gap in my armor and Soleria yells as if feeling my wound, I drop my blades and slam my hand into the male’s throat.
Locking eyes with him, I bare my teeth and yank back, taking his entire trachea with me.
It’s not enough to kill him, not by a long shot, and the unfocused anger in his irises tells me nothing less will do.
Slamming my other fist into his midsection, I push past his own armor, even as he reaches for my throat. Before he can get a grasp on it, I squeeze my hand around his heart, feeling the hot organ beat through my leather glove.
A single yank and consciousness is gone, the body falling facedown.
Depending on this demon’s age, it still might not be enough. He might regenerate his heart and awaken.
Materializing my double sword, I take his head. Twirling it, I bring down what has to be fifty more, a team of males determined to end me before hurting each other.
Using both my blades and my hands, I rip out flesh, organs, tearing heads right off their shoulders. A few more manage to get in some hits, one going as far as slicing open my left cheek from eyebrow to jaw.
Soleria screams again.
Blood floods my vision, covering everything in a red haze. Their blood, my own.
When all I want is my R’ma’s blood. For this battle to end already so I can ease her pain.
I lift the blades over my head for another attack.
The gravity on the dimension multiplies instantly, pressure landing on our heads. Pressure so intense none of us can move, most of us brought to our knees on the blood-soaked dirt.
Soleria? The question barely registers when a second round of pressure hits and everyone around me groans while trying to fight it.
A multitude of voices ring out and it takes me a split second to realize where they’re coming from.
“Enough. He has killed too many of you. End this battle now, name him the victor, or I shall make the decision for you all.”
FATE.
Shit! Fighting against the pressure to turn my head, I catch sight of Cyake to the right of the shield Sol’s in, his armor glinting from the fire that continues to spread through the ranks.
But it’s his eyes that confirm what I already knew. Metallic blue and utterly calm, they survey us like the vermin beneath his feet that we are.
My best friend arrived and unleashed his powers of Fate to end this, risking his own self in the process.
“Gods damn it, Cy!” If he remains a second longer in that state, we’re going to lose him. Possibly forever.
As badly as I need my female, I don’t know if I can handle the loss of him like that. His gaze shoots in my direction, but he continues to address everyone else. “Now. Admit he’s the winner and I shall make sure your bodies stop reacting to your queen’s need.”
My mouth falls open.
Crius swoops down in his chariot, leaping off the edge to land besides his brother. “You’re actually still in there?”
“For the moment,” Cyake answers dispassionately, but the way he’s taking in my wounds is anything but. “Make your gods damned decision n
ow!” he shouts to the demons.
“Yes! Yes, we agree!” one male answers, surprising me.
When others begin to join in, agreeing to end the battle and crown me victor, I’m almost too stunned to react.
Cyake nods calmly, waving his hand once.
The pressure vanishes, as well as that unholy blue shade in his eyes. The demons seem to sigh en masse, their bodies relaxing as the arousal leaks out of their systems.
I, on the other hand, am too far gone to pause. Jumping to my feet, I head back over to the shield, barely sparing a look for my best friend who watches me approach with his regular, golden eyes.
“Don’t fucking ever do that again,” I admonish, summoning Gleipner into my hand.
“You’re welcome,” he hums, eyeing the bindings Zeniel took from him weeks ago.
Soleria is already struggling to her feet, shaken and unsteady.
To my surprise, a thought from me has both layers of the shield dispersing—Zexistr’s and my own.
Crius and Cyake disappear before that scent barrels back at them.
Smart males.
Taking that amplified, juicy smell deep in my lungs, I flash before Sol, hauling her against me. My entire body vibrates with the contact, despite my armor and her clothes standing in the way.
Her eyes bounce over my body, hands pressed to my chest.
Right against the blood covering the outer layers of my armor.
I bring her in even closer, hips rocking into her of their own volition. “You see this? That’s their blood all over me. You couldn’t make up your mind about wanting me fast enough, Sol, now they’re all dead. Thousands of them. And you? You’re all fucking mine. I’m going to do whatever the hell I want to you, and you won’t be able to stop me. Not anymore.”
Looking at the deceptively thin black ribbon in my right hand, she swallows thickly and whispers my name.
Nope. Not listening. Not anymore.
Without a glance back at the carnage, I dematerialize us straight to the highest floor in the tower—her royal chambers—knowing damn well everyone will be able to hear us from there.
Chapter 47
IANTHEN
I slam Soleria onto her bed. It bounces, bending inward, but somehow holds without breaking.
Her back arches.
Eager hands reach for me.
I avoid her grasp and visualize a set of four hooks appearing at the ends of her bed—two on the wall at the head, and two connected to the bed itself at the foot.
I’m sweating, thighs quaking. If Soleria’s in a fever of pain by now, I assure you I’m not too far behind. Materializing those hooks takes more out of me than it should.
Fuck. My hands are shaking so bad.
Light blue Erencei eyes glow with delirium beneath me, leaving me momentarily dumbstruck.
I’ve never been particularly turned on by any of the Erencei females, no matter the subspecies. Not more so than other females, that is. If they were hot enough for a fuck, that was all that mattered.
But this one’s my female, the one that had me salivating at first glance, even as a mere mortal.
Hands slamming against the bed, she lifts her upper body towards me, breasts quivering with each breath. “Ianthen, please. Do something.”
Oh, I will.
Whipping Gleipner around, I make quick work of securing both her legs. The binding elongates of its own volition.
“Ian? What—”
Her wrists are secured next.
“Ianthen!”
A hum of electricity emanates from the silky, black length. I yank my hands away. When did I remove my gloves? There’s a hazy throbbing in the air. Her scent is all over everything, all over me, and her agony pumps through my veins.
“Baby.” Sweat dots along her brow, alarming me. Immortals of our power level usually don’t perspire, our bodies above such displays of weakness.
Unless something is wrong. Very, very wrong.
Just like it happened to me the night I tried to fuck her as a mortal. I thought I was just going rabid; turns out, I was heading towards a collision with a bonding and a mating.
Soleria arches in a sharp C shape on the bed, body pulling at one of the few unbreakable chains in the universe. “Oh God. Why are you doing this? Please.”
Her heat is all around and inside me. I smell it, taste it, sense it.
Falling to my knees on the bed between her spread, tied legs, I place my near useless hands on her hips. Dematerializing her clothes is another blow to my failing strength.
My female is weakening, taking me along with her.
As soon as I have her naked, the wet, musky scent of her need explodes into the room on a secondary wave. Her body undulates to each contraction, short, stunted moans punching out of her chest.
Her pierced pussy’s a swollen, dark pink temptation I can’t fight.
But wait. There’s a reason I can’t take her yet. Something I need to . . .
Soleria’s upper body falls back onto the bed, pierced nipples shivering.
Placing my hands on her knees, I shake my head, trying to make sense of what I’m missing.
Droplets of red appear over my female’s pale skin, covering her lower abs and hips.
Blood?
Confused, I stare down at my bare chest. My armor is gone, as well, although I don’t remember divesting myself of it.
Blood stains almost every visible area of my skin.
Mine.
Theirs.
“Baby . . . what’s happening? Why aren’t you moving?”
My fingers dig into her writhing hips. “The blood. Need to . . . wash it off.” Can’t even will it away on my own anymore, my body’s that out of whack.
“Now.” She’s a fucking vision straining against those black binds, neck thrown back. “Need your cum in my pussy. My mouth.”
My incisors punch out to full length as my cock spasms in my leathers. She risked someone else taking this. Having her. The vein at my temple pounds with outrage. Ripping at the fabric keeping my dick from her, I surge between her legs, one hand wrapped around her throat.
My bare erection slaps against her wet mound, straining for that tight little opening that calls my fucking name every hour of every day.
I don’t notice I’m squeezing down on her neck too hard until she chokes on a gasp, eyes widening with trepidation.
“Someone else could be here taking you right now, Sol.” Leaning down, I swipe my tongue along her mouth, loving how she fights to get me closer. When I lift my head away from hers, there’s a smudge of blood along the bottom of her lip. Who does it belong to? Is it mine, or one of the other male’s that I killed for trying to have her? I rub my thumb along her skin on a rough glide, wanting to strip that blood right off her. No one’s blood but mine is allowed on her skin like that. No one’s cum, either.
Her neck might be unmarked, but she’s mine. I earned her with every drop of blood I spilled for her today. “You risked that, baby. Let someone else inside that tight, perfect pussy. Even though I’m yours.”
“I know,” she whimpers miserably. “I’m sorry. Please. You. I want you. No one else.”
And she gets me.
With a single, perfectly aimed thrust, I’m inside her, pushing past the shivering walls of her cunt.
There’s no time to adjust, to brace myself.
Soleria shatters beneath me with a frantic shout, squeezing the cum out of me on the fastest orgasm I’ve ever experienced. “Perfect—cock. Ian. Oh my God, oh my God.”
“Holy fuck, that needy pussy,” I gasp, holding on for dear fucking life.
One thrust.
One freaking thrust and I’m an animal in her, shouting even louder, my neck snapping back on my spine. Every muscle in my body tightens, my ribs contracting. I’m so far gone for this chick that each wave of cum I give her lashes me like a brutal whip, the pain adding to the entire mindfuck of our situation.
Dry fire races down my throat. The acid-like burn un
leashes a new, raving set of impulses. Groaning deep in my throat, I give her one more thrust, letting the last of my cum drip in her.
She bites into her bottom lip, mewling, hips circling.
Greedy little thing.
That could’ve been the load that got her pregnant, but she’s nowhere near done demanding more of me.
Teeth bared, I slide out of her, jealousy a roar between my ears that hasn’t diminished one bit.
Her incensed growl would make me laugh under any other circumstances. She’s mine. I’m convinced of it, but she went ahead and gambled with that reality. Took the chance it would be someone else.
Now, more than ever, I understand what I did to her. The nerve of what I attempted. How fucking dare I try to give this to another female when it was clear it belonged to her?
I grab her chin, any thoughts of gentling myself long gone, and press her head into the pillow. “You risked it, Sol. You risked another male being in my cunt.” I slam two fingers of my free hand inside her, stirring my cum. “Between those lips when I haven’t even had them yet.” I shove the same two fingers, covered with both our juices, into her mouth, forcing her to taste us.
Stare flashing defiantly, she sucks me right in—
The slice of her teeth shoots through my nerves.
Fucking sexy bitch bit me!
I moan hungrily at the sight of my blood filling her mouth, staining her lips.
She isn’t mated to me, but she’s still taking me into her. Swallowing me down.
“I want my cum in your mouth next. Then I’m giving it to you in your pussy all night, Sol.” The words are warped, altered by the size of my fangs.
Her hips jerk as a hoarse breath spills from her throat. Eyes sliding closed, she sucks my fingers in deeper, biting me harder, as if she’s as hungry for my blood as I am for her.
In a fluid move, I get rid of what was left of my leathers, my boots slamming haphazardly somewhere on the floor. Flashing over to the head of the bed, I kneel by her face, letting her see my swollen, glistening cock throb inches from her mouth.
The space between her brow scrunches and her lips open on a slow part.
Blood Drenched Conquest (Ryze Book 3) Page 40
